Privileges and Plight of the Grand Marshal
by MissyMaestro
Summary: It was ONE night. Armitage Hux allowed himself one night of revelry. What's the worst that could happen? He had an idea, but nothing of this magnitude.
1. Chapter 1

She was just a human resources assistant, yet she must have had some delicious information to be granted an audience with him. Hux hadn't the slightest idea who she was or what she could want until he stepped into his office where she was waiting and saw her face.

"General," the woman greeted him formally, bowing her head.

"Oh." Hux strode in and sat behind his desk, suddenly feeling awkward. He sat rigidly in his chair and couldn't stop the memories from playing.

It was the _one_ night of revelry he'd allowed himself following a large battle victory. Officers mingled and celebrated with the administrative departments, drinking and eating to gluttonous delight. Music played and lights were low. The pretty HR assistant was there, drinking and touching his arm and looking too boldly into his face for someone of her station. They ended the night drunkenly stumbling into his quarters, unable to keep their hands off each other and uniforms on. She was gone when he woke in the morning.

Certain blackmail was about to be leveled, Hux took a breath and steeled himself. Human Resources. This woman knew protocol and rules, especially the ones he'd broken, and he'd have to play his cards carefully. Fraternizing between officers and non-commissioned personnel wasn't exactly smiled upon.

"Um." The woman fidgeted with the hem of her skirt and swallowed hard. "I wasn't sure if I could request a meeting with you, but your aide cleared it."

"Let's get to it, then," Hux snapped. "What do you want of me?"

Surprise flashed across her face. "Nothing."

Intrigued, Hux cocked his head slightly. "Then what brings you here if you're not seeking reward for your silence regarding our relations?"

"Grand Marshal, I swear that's not my intention." She weighed her words before speaking again. "I feel it's my moral and professional obligation to let you know I'm pregnant." After a moment, she sheepishly added, "By you."

Hux sat back in his chair, plunged deep in thought. The blindsiding news didn't strike him as he once imagined such a jarring announcement would. The shock passed almost instantly and Hux recalled his own childhood. His father Brendol Hux was a monster and mistreated everyone from humans and aliens to droids. Imagine, Armitage thought excitedly, the potential of raising a child _properly_ with love and freedom instead of corporal punishment and military order. The thought of a child with steel grey eyes reading and playing, running across the hall with a fat red cat made his heart thump out of time.

The assistant cleared her throat after a few moments of silence and leaned forward. "Sir, I just wanted you to know. Maybe you have a preference about this? I know crew aren't supposed to fraternize, but officers can. That's why I think my only choice is to leave this up to you," she finished lamely. "I'm not usually a rule breaker, sir. I'll do whatever you prefer. I can go to the medical bay immediately and have it taken care of."

"What's your name?" Hux blurted. "I can't seem to remember your name."

"Aurelia," she replied. "I'm not entirely sure I introduced myself that night. Do you remember me at all?" A pink blush rose in her cheeks. "I don't mean to assume I'm the only girl you've-"

"Aurelia," Hux tested the name, cutting her off before her insinuation could go any further. The idea that workers on board saw him as a loose man seemed strange and somehow offensive. "I'm Armitage. I remember everything about you. I may have been drinking, but I recall our encounter well."

She laughed uneasily. "Yes. So do I. You said you liked my freckles because they're rebellious by uniform standards."

A rare smile crept across Hux's lips and he gave a soft chuckle. "I suppose I did." He looked back up into her face and the smattering of freckles that spread from her cheeks across her nose. They were the color of her caramel brown hair. Yes, sober _or_ drunk, he found her absolutely fascinating. The way she looked at him now was no different than the way she gazed at him during the party. Her blue eyes were locked on his, unwavering and unafraid. The fact that she carried his child made her somehow even more appealing. A child with grey eyes and freckles. Life had taken a fortuitous turn, indeed.

"Grand Marshal. What would you have me do?"

Hux's smile fell away as he realized he hadn't consulted Aurelia on the matter. Perhaps her skin crawled at the thought. He braced himself for any possible outcome. "I can grant you immunity from any punishment, if that's what you're concerned about. What do _you_ want?"

"I want to continue to serve the First Ord-"

"No," Hux interrupted. "Do _you_ want this child?"

Nodding, Aurelia touched her stomach, which had not yet started to swell. "I don't even know you. Could I keep my job? What will happen when I begin to show and my superiors ask who the father is? Won't the Supreme Leader have _you_ punished if he finds out?"

Aurelia's frantic calculations reminded Hux of his own hyper-organized nature. The smile returned to his face. Hux sat back again and nodded. "Your concerns would all be null if we were to wed."

Staring at him in disbelief, Aurelia blinked away her shock and fumbled for a response.

Sensing a building panic about her, Hux held up his hands. "There's a shore leave in two months. That's plenty of time to secure a location, finalize the details and paperwork, and get to know each other better." His mind was surprisingly calm. The right choices were supposed to be the hardest, but making this life altering decision was the easiest thing he'd done in his life. Hux smiled genuinely. "Though it wasn't my intention, I can't say I'm not pleased."

"Two months?" Her hand flitted about her collarbone and her mouth moved up and down wordlessly.

"This isn't an order. It's a proposal." Hux's heart rate spiked. He never thought love was in his cards, and this seemed good enough. The woman had the kindness to alert him to her condition when she could have easily aborted the fetus or lied about the father. Neither Hux's childhood, upbringing, or adult life gave him a healthy example of a marriage to look forward to, but this HR assistant was an agreeable option from what he could tell. Their chemistry hadn't faded since the party; in fact, he'd thought of her more than once as he fell to sleep.

Aurelia took a deep breath. "I only wanted to know whether I had permission to have this child," she said as the color faded from her cheeks. "And now the Grand Marshal is proposing marriage." She fanned herself for a moment before wetting her lips and laughing nervously.

"You can say no. I- I personally prefer you don't. I want to be a good father, unlike my own. I won't abandon this child." He stood and rounded the desk, sitting in the chair next to her. His knee brushed against hers. "Don't think me preying on you in a vulnerable state. I simply want to take responsibility for my part in this. I do so eagerly."

She stared at him and nodded before frantically fanning herself again. "Is it warm in here, Grand Marshal? I think it's quite warm." She frantically unbuttoned the top of her blouse and lunged for a datapad from Hux's desk, fanning it wildly at herself.

"Aurelia?" Hux slid his arm behind her and guided her back into the chair just as she began to faint. "A medical droid to my office," he called urgently into a communicator. "Quickly. My guest is in distress."

* * *

Aurelia awoke with a gasp. The shiny surfaces and whirring medical droids of the sick bay greeted her.

"Congratulations," a medical droid said. "You are pregnant. Please avoid becoming overly excited while your body adjusts to pregnancy. You are dehydrated and malnourished. A special meal plan is being prepared for you to sustain your body and your fetus. I will upload the appropriate materials and menu into your datapad for your review."

"A special meal plan?" Aurelia scoffed. "By whose authority? Administrators don't have that kind of access. Perhaps you have my credentials confused with-"

"By the authority of Grand Marshal Hux, you are to want for nothing."

"Oh," Aurelia breathed. It came back to her. She mustered the courage to see the handsome redheaded man, expecting to be ignored entirely or sent for an abortion. Either outcome would have been tolerable. Once either was over, she could have moved on with her life as before. She entered the empty office ready for a verbal beating and awaited the officer with calm resolve. Yes, things would move along one way or another. She simply had to acquiesce to her conscience and let the man know it was _his_ child.

Thinking about it made her head swim again and she laid back down. Grand Marshal Hux's reputation preceded him, but her own experience threw the common perception out the window. Everyone knew he was cruel and calculating, but at the victory party he was charming and laughed easily. Energy radiated from him and like a magnet, she couldn't seem to tear her attention away. There was no zealous ruler present, just a charismatic man with a gentle touch.

It was all foreign and Aurelia felt bad for wishing it had never happened. It would have been easier if Hux dismissed her from his office, but he looked so _sincere_ when he said he'd marry her and raise her child. _His_ child. _Their_ child.

"This note was left for you," a droid said, extending a hand to her. "It's _paper._ "

"I see that," Aurelia nodded in wonder. Paper was reserved for formal invitations and notifications. She'd actually never felt it and marveled at its lightness in her hands.

 _Aurelia,_

 _I'm sorry to leave, but an issue in the Outer Rim demanded my attention. T_ _he scans reported no conditions or issues besides our pregnancy, so I leave you in the care of the medical team. You're in capable hands._

 _I respectfully beg for your hand in marriage._ _Any fears you have are likely within my control to alter to our liking._ _As your husband, I could ensure your position in your department or freedom from employment all together._ _The happiness of our family will be paramount._

 _I'll include my personal communicator and quarters code. You have clearance to come see me any time you'd like._

 _Yours,_  
 _A Hux._

Aurelia touched her lips. _Our pregnancy, she_ reread. _Our family. Your husband. Our liking. Yours._

The First Order's young leader was much more than she suspected _anyone_ knew. His reaction to her news. The gentle way he kissed her before he fell asleep. His mesmerizing gray eyes. The delicate curls of his handwriting. Some strange connection that, even as perfect strangers again, burned and made her mouth water. How she had thought of him every day, even before her first missed period.

The answer to his question should hae been cut and dry, but something nagged at her. Folding the letter, she held it to her chest and sighed.


	2. Eating Up

Hux spent the evening scouring the file of one Aurelia Smitte. It was bizarre to have already scoured every inch of her body and to know so little about her, but he meant to amend that fact by memorizing her file.

She was a smart girl who rose to her position fairly quickly. Though she be only an assistant, she was an assistant on the largest ship in the First Order. Her superiors wrote glowing reviews and commended her skills and diplomacy regarding personnel issues. With her excellent testing scores and high compatibility rating, Hux wondered why she stopped at assistant. She could easily be managing the department or serving in a leadership role of some sort. _Perhaps she's smart enough to keep her head down and let Ren take his anger out on the higher-ups_ , he figured. He didn't blame her.

His finger lazily dragged across the datapad screen, enlarging her picture. Yes, she was something to look at, but there was more than met the eye. It was her fiery personality and daring that hooked him at the party. Hux never had a one night stand until her, but even as they drunkenly tore each others' uniforms off, he laughed at her dark jokes and easy nature and made a mental list of questions to ask her over breakfast. When he awoke alone the next morning, a mixture of awe and loss shocked him, but Hux reminded himself it was to be a one night stand and nothing more.

Her picture stared up at him, not quite solemn as it was supposed to be. The corners of her eyes ticked upward in a joyful, victorious way. Hux leaned on his hand and stared at the picture. Yes, there was something about the mother of his baby he still needed to discover.

* * *

The HR office was cheerier than the rest of the ship, but still held its industrial feel. Cheeriness radiated from the receptionist. Her bright yellow cardigan atop a light blue dress looked like something from another world and Hux had to remind himself that uniforms were optional for non-military personnel. The pink gem sparkling in her nose, however, was _not_ authorized. Stifling a cringe at the blatant disregard for order, her forced a pleasant expression as he approached.

"Grand Marshal," the receptionist exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and throwing up an awkward and incorrect salute. "Your highness."

Wrinkling his nose at the display, he cleared his throat. "Could you escort me to Ms. Smitte's workstation?"

"Aurelia? Yeah. Her desk is just in the back." The secretary stood and looked him over for a second before offering her arm. "Uh, this way, sir." Hux raised an eyebrow and she dropped her hand to her side. "Sorry, we don't usually get caps in here. _Oh!_ I mean officers." She took a breath and focused on the floor, sheepishly scurrying deeper into the office spaces. "Here she is, your highness. Permission to go back to my desk?"

Not entirely sure how to respond, Hux nodded curtly.

Aurelia was sitting at her desk, focused on holograms of information spread around her. Her bright brown hair caught the blue light and cast a bizarre halo about her. Hux sucked in a breath and watched her for a moment. She scrutinized one file before swiping it away and scanning another, clearly hunting for something. A strand of hair fell into her face and she swept it back, sighing impatiently.

"Ms. Smitte? I thought I might escort you to lunch."

Caught off guard, Aurelia squeaked and jumped backward, looking up from her work at last, chest heaving. "Sir!"

"I didn't mean to intrude. Do you care join me? If you can get away from what you're doing, that is."

Still catching her breath, she nodded. "Of course, Grand Marshal." Now that her shock wore off, she tilted her head and smiled at him. "What a surprise."

"Excellent." Hux turned for the door with Aurelia on his arm and couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the secretary, who was peering over her cubicle in wonder.

"The communicator is ringing," Aurelia called, pointing to the blinking lights on the girl's desk.

" _Oh!_ " Yellow cardigan dove to answer, still watching Hux out of the side of her eye.

Aurelia giggled. "I'm afraid you've created a scandal that will burn through the department in no time. Officers don't think twice about us unless there's been an error." She faked a scandalous gasp. "What could it be? Why is the Grand Marshal escorting me away? Am I a spy? A secret Jedi? Your mistress? Will I be sent away, or executed? The rumors!"

"Nonsense," Hux scoffed. "If you were a Jedi, Ren would have you to himself. No one would believe that." He flashed a smirk. Her teasing way was a relief compared to the stuffy people he worked alongside. "You could have turned down my invitation. Any rumor is as much your fault as it is mine."

"Yes, it takes two to tango, doesn't it?" Aurelia pulled closer to him as they passed the secretary's desk, then giggled mischievously once they passed the doors.

* * *

In the officers' mess hall, Aurelia ravenously devoured her food while doing her best to look refined and not out of place among the high-ranking officials. Cap after cap strolled through the doors, most of them wearing similar scowls. When Kylo Ren breezed in, black cloak flowing out behind him, Aurelia sat up straight, eyes wide.

"I promise he hasn't even seen you," Hux said, noticing her reaction. "You have every authority to be here as long as you're with me."

Nodding, she returned to her food, but kept a sideaways glance trained on the supreme leader.

"Are you feeling well?" Hux asked, hoping to relax her.

"Yes, sir. Just hungry." She frowned at her already empty plate, wondering if she'd truly eaten the heaping amount of food already.

"Then have more!" He drew his datapad from his pocket and set it on the table. "The meal plan says you're allowed a _drastically_ increased caloric intake-"

"You have my meal plan? Sir?"

A smile ticked at the corners of his lips. "You don't have to call me sir. You're pregnant. That seems a step beyond ' _sir.'"_

A giggle bubbled over her lips, drawing attention and earning murmurs from nearby officers. Aurelia pursed her lips and stared down, trying hard to silence herself.

"Ignore them," Hux said. "This hall is a joyless pit. They don't know what laughter is."

Nodding, she watched him eat and thanked the stars he chewed politely with his mouth shut. There were dozens of things she didn't know about him, but at least that was a reassuring trait. Plus, even sober, he was charming and kind, making sure to make her feel at ease. She smiled when he looked up at her.

After a moment, he returned the expression. "Have dinner with me tonight. I can cook in my quarters."

"You cook?" Aurelia asked in surprise.

"I assure you I'm not trying to entice you with that fact, in your current condition," Hux chuckled. "But yes, I like to think I'm sufficient in the culinary arts."

"What are you cooking?"

He glanced down at the datapad again and brought up her menu. "Let's see. I could sautee-"

Aurelia reached across the table and stilled his hand. "Grand Marshal, I know you're quite by the book, but I don't intend to follow that day by day. Droids made it. No human could eat eerything on that plan."

Hux looked up in surprise. "This is optimized for your nutritional needs. I'd hate for you to collapse again, Aurelia." Before she could react, he hardened his expression and tone. "You'll eat from the list."

Realizing she shouldn't rebut him again in the company of so many officers, she pursed her lips. "Yes, sir."

Crestfallen at her sudden change, he pulled his hand back. "Forgive me. I don't mean to treat you like a soldier." He cringed. "Old habits."

It made sense, Aurelia realized. Hux from the party who whispered in her ear and proposed marriage was the _real_ man, but a military leader couldn't be quick with a joke or compassion. The First Order ran like a well oiled machine and she imagined the Grand Marshal was much of the reason for it. Seeing him trying so fervently to balance his role was endearing.

A frown sliced across his lips and Hux leaned forward, reaching out to rest his fingertips on her forearm. "I can only improve if you allow me time to practice." Real remorse echoed in his words. He took a deep breath and tried again. "If you've not had enough gossip fodder for one day, I'll cook you anything you'd like in my quarters this evening." He inclined his head with a knowing smile at his lips. "Better?"

Aurelia ran her hand over his. "I don't see any harm in going to a strange man's quarters after hours," she replied playfully. "I'm already pregnant. What more could you do to me?"

Hux chuckled darkly in spite of himself. "Yes, I suddenly recall why that happened in the first place. Your gentle demeanor is a good cover for your depraved sense of humor."


	3. Dining In

Sauce sizzled and the knife's rhythmic thudding against the cutting board was somehow therapeutic to Hux. He always enjoyed cooking, but rarely bothered to do it for himself. It wasn't worth the effort to dirty dishes and put in the work in to prepare the food only to eat the small portion and have to clean the entire kitchen. For Aurelia, though, he'd pulled out nearly all of the dishes in the small cupboard and had used a majority of them to make an intricate meal.

"It smells amazing."

The knife stopped just short of his finger as he jerked upward. Hux glared across the room, surprised to see Aurelia leaning against a door frame, watching him.

She held up the letter he penned to her in the sick bay. "I, uh, used your code. Is that all right?"

"I, erm, yes. I did give it to you." The blatant invasion of privacy usually would have enraged him, but seeing her standing there negated the feeling. He scooped the vegetables into a pot and wiped his hands off. "Make yourself comfortable. You've been here before, otherwise I'd show you around." The tips of his ears burned red. Out of uniform and completely sober, he felt out of sorts. Just days ago he proposed marriage to her in the most blunt of ways. They hadn't mentioned the topic since. _What an elephant in the room._

Their situation forced a strange familiarity that didn't truly exist. Despite their shared child ensuring their future togetherness of some variety, he was nervous. Giving orders came natural. Battle was easy. Letting his guard down and navigating this new relationship, if it even was such a thing, would be a challenge.

Aurelia giggled and leaned on the counter, observing the mess. "I said to surprise me, but I didn't mean by making _everything."_

"I admit this is a selfish choice. It's one of my favorite meals, but it's too much work for just one person." He put a cast iron skillet into the oven. "After seeing your monstrous appetite at lunch, I'm certain you'll enjoy it."

She grinned wolfishly. "That's not the first time you've said I have a big appetite, Grand Marshal." The title rolled off her tongue, more purr than words.

The blush spread to his cheeks. Flashes of their night together played. _He'd only just collapsed onto the bed, sweating and panting when she trailed her lips down his chest, licking and nipping him as she drew more and more southward._

 _"I'm not done with you yet," she spoke against his navel._

 _Half panting, half laughing, he looked down to her and growled, "I love a woman with a monstrous appetite," before moaning as she took him in her mouth._

Hux cleared his throat and turned back to the stove top. Playful, bubbly personalities didn't exist in his part of the First Order. The same charms that drew him to her also perplexed him and left him feeling utterly unprepared. It was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

"Wow. You _can_ cook," Aurelia sighed contentedly as she pushed away her empty plate. "Thank you, Grand Marshal."

Hux leaned on his hand. "As much as I enjoy hearing you say that, it's not necessary."

"Right. Thank you, _Hux_." She helped him clear the dishes. "No droid?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No. They're needed elsewhere. I'm perfectly capable of doing basic tasks."

"And more complex ones," Aurelia replied flirtatiously, brushing past him. "What are you doing the rest of the evening?"

Hux blinked. The question threw him off kilter. Her tone implied that she was having a good time but the question seemed to draw a firm line in the sand that she didn't intend to stay any longer. Mixed messages weren't common in the First Order. This was likely the first one Hux had received.

He defaulted to a neutral answer. "Most evenings I stay in and read with Millicent."

Dishes clanked noisily as Aurelia set them down in the sink. "Oh." She stared sidelong at him for a moment before quickly loading utensils into the cleaner. The atmosphere in the apartment dropped off rapidly and felt as icy as her glare. "Well, I'd hate to keep you from that." In a flash she'd gathered her belongings, muttered a thanks, and reached for the door before Hux could process what went wrong.

"Aurelia," Hux called after her. "Can I ask what I said to offend you?"

"I'm just going to go, all right?" she replied sharply. A flash of red blurred her face. Something landed with a thud on the shelf just beside her head. Aurelia shrieked and stumbled backward, reaching for Hux.

He caught her arm as it clawed through the air for him. Chuckling, he nodded toward the fat ginger cat curled up beside a stack of books on the shelf. "It's only Millicent."

Incredulous, Aurelia ripped her arm out of his grasp. Large green feline eyes watched the outsider in interest. "Millicent?" Aurelia snarled. "Millicent is a _cat_? Who gives a cat a woman's name? And pets of any kind are a blatant violation of-"

"Wait," Hux interrupted. "Did you think Millicent was a woman?" He covered his face with his hand. "I'm a fool. Of course you did, with no context. No, Millicent is my _cat._ I have no other visitors. Truthfully, you're the only woman who has visited my quarters. Ever," he added for good measure.

"Oh." Aurelia laughed sheepishly. "I'm – I'm so sorry, Grand Marshal. Can I blame pregnancy brain yet?"

Hux chuckled. "I'm afraid I've read that doesn't begin to affect a woman until the next trimesters."

"You've read up, haven't you?" Softness settled into the lines of her face and the tone of her voice. She leaned against the wall. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly," he replied eagerly.

"I expected you to punish me or send me for an abortion. Why didn't you?"

Hux leaned against the counter, mirroring her casual stance. "I was the product of a one night stand. A bastard. I was treated as such by many. My father, on the other hand, eagerly took me away from my mother, a kitchen maid, left his wife, and treated me as expendable. I can't fathom it. This baby has done nothing to earn a hard life."

"Oh." Her hands rubbed over her flat torso. "I'm sorry."

He watched as she continued to stroke her stomach. "Would you like to stay a bit longer? I enjoy your company. It's good conversation. A simple misunderstanding shouldn't derail the evening." Mostly he watned to ask if she'd considered his proposal.

A polite smile at her kips, Aurelia shook her head. "I'm fairly tired. I think I'll go enjoy a bath and early bed time, if you don't mind. Thank you for dinner. You're a kind man, Hux."

He watched as she slipped out the door, lost in his own reflections; even more uncertain about her feelings for him than before.


	4. Settling In

Every five minutes, Aurelia swore she was going to vomit. She never did. She _wished_ she could, just to get it out of the way. The food on the special pregnancy meal plan was nutritious enough, but much of it left her craving sustenance of a less healthy variety. Junk food made her stomach churn further, though, and the wheel continued to turn.

The notion of several more months of pregnancy was torture. She yearned for a rubdown of her sore muscles or a distraction from the bizarre feeling that she wasn't in control of her own body. Whether it was the hormones or actual pining, she daydreamed of the general when he wasn't around and eagerly awaited lunch hour while she worked, butterflies in her stomach as soon as he walked through the door to invite her to dine with him.

Yes, something was at work.

Routine visits by the Grand Marshal became a part of her life. Armitage Hux was nothing if not reliable and punctual. Every day at noon he was there, politely inviting her to lunch. They chatted about their childhoods and interests, daily doings, and Aurelia's pregnancy there in the officers' mess hall.

He was surprisingly intuitive to her changing palate and sensitive appetite. Day after day when they reached her desk after lunch, he asked what she'd like for dinner, and cooked it that night as she played with Millicent and occasionally helped in the kitchen.

Though Aurelia tried to keep him at an arm's distance, she couldn't help but watch him fondly as he wiped down the counters and stove after every dinner. "You've really never had a woman over for dinner?" she asked one evening after a hearty pasta dish.

Hux frowned up at her. "I haven't lied to you."

"You just- you don't seem like someone who's never done this sort of thing before." Aurelia shrugged. "You're good at it." Millicent purred in her lap and she held the cat up to her face.

"Millicent typically doesn't like strangers, either. I guess we're just regulars. Or you're worth breaking the mold." Hux smiled at her for a moment before turning back to cleaning. "Plans for this evening?"

She shrugged and stretched. "I don't know. I'm not tired, but I don't feel _good._ Everything's just tight. And d _on't_ say I should work out." She smiled coyly. "Your books say not to start now if I haven't before. Lucky for me. More months of utter relaxation."

"I know, I know. Physical fitness is at the bottom of your priority chart, right next to learning to properly cook," Hux teased.

"Hux!" She threw a pillow at him.

He laughed and caught it, then joined her on the couch. "I could show you some yoga to loosen up. Or do you consider that hard cardio?"

She narrowed her eyes and gave him a shove. "For that I should make you give me a massage."

Sensing little insincerity, he reached out and began massaging her shoulders. "Well, I got you into this condition in the first place. I'm not opposed to doing what I can to minimize your discomfort." He could practically feel her melt under his skilled touch. As the tension began to fade in her neck, he moved down her back. "Why didn't you just ask if you wanted a massage?"

Aurelia glanced over her shoulder. "It seemed weird, I guess. I can't shake that you're in charge of the entire Order. My little issues don't seem like that big of a deal when I hear what you're dealing with every day."

"Aurelia," he scolded her.

She shrugged and leaned back into his touch. "I'm still trying to figure this thing out."

Hux nodded. "Yes. Me, too."

* * *

The approach of bootfall didn't startle the HR secretary like it once did. The girl, named Jory, straightened at his presence, but smiled. "Grand Marshal. Smitte knows what time it is. She'll be up here in a sec." She popped her gum and turned back to her files. "What's up in the galaxy today?"

"The usual," Hux replied, slightly bemused as always at the girl.

"Say, could you sign off on something real quick while you're here?" She pulled up a form and swiped it toward Hux. "Authorization for FN-4930 to transfer to maintenance. Her super has been all over me, but the maintenance CO is just the worst at answering my requests."

"Approved," Hux said after reviewing the file and signing with his finger.

"Sorry," Aurelia said as she joined him. "Shall we?"

"Actually," Hux started. He cleared his throat, nervous again. In addition to their lunch date, he intended to nudge their relationship along further. "I have a question, while we're still in the office."

Jory leaned forward, eager for a piece of gossip to spread. Aurelia raised her eyebrows in interest.

"Ren and I are to attend a gala on-planet this weekend. It's customary to bring dates. Unfortunately the lieutenant I usually attend with is going with the Supreme Leader." His heart felt like it would pound through his sternum. His last offer went unanswered. This one could be the same disastrous result. And he'd chosen to do it with a witness to his humiliation. _Genius._ "Were you interested in attending, I could see that I'd be your escort." He swallowed and stared, praying she gave him an answer.

"Are you asking me to come to the gala with you?" Aurelia beamed.

"Yes, I am."

"Wow, yes!" She nodded eagerly. "Like, in a gown and everything?"

Jory cleared her throat and held up a finger. "Just a minute. An official First Order event? If that's the case, she'll need security clearance and an upgrade in status, plus approval forms from all the supervisors above her." Her hands whizzed through holograms and she selected several. "I'll get you a new badge, too, Aurelia. But it will take weeks for all of this to go through. Authorization is weeks behind. I have dozens of things piled up. It will never go through by this weekend."

Hux motioned to the documents. "I'll sign them now, then. I'm certain my authorization overrides her supervisor." He threw a charming smile Aurelia's way. "There's a wardrobe for events such as this. I can show you later."

Jory frowned. "Wait, wait. You can't just sign these now. That's not protocol. Is this a trap? You don't go against policy." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I have to send it through the normal channel. Ms. Smitte can't attend this weekend without the proper authorization."

"Jory," Aurelia laughed. "Since when would the Grand Marshal come do an audit on the Human Resources department? It's not a trap."

The assistant pursed her lips. "I can put an expedited rush on this, but I can't assure-"

Hux leaned on her desk. "Were I here to check on you in an official capacity, I'd have torn that piercing from your nostril long ago."

She opened her mouth to object, but nodded. "True."

* * *

After lunch Hux excused Aurelia from work and escorted her to the officers' wing once more, this time to an ornate room filled with mirrors and racks of sparkling gowns. It was a room he'd never visited since he perferred his uniform for any function.

"I believe they're arranged by species, then size," Hux explained.

Aurelia wasn't listening. She was moving slowly among the racks, her fingers brushing along fine fabrics and dazzling gems. Brilliant crimsons and deep emeralds caught her attention, but there were hundreds more options awaiting her.

Watching her felt strangely intrusive. "Pick anything you'd like," he said softly. "There are dressing rooms just there. Bring your gown by tonight when you come for dinner. I'll keep it in my quarters until Saturday since I have a closet to spare."

"You're not staying?" Aurelia asked, crestfallen. "I might need help deciding." She touched her stomach, which had now started to swell slightly. "Or fastening things."

"Oh." Hux stood frozen to the spot. "I can call for an attendant, if you wish."

"I thought you had the afternoon free?" The disappointment on her face would have cleared his schedule, even if he had battle plans.

"Of course." Hux smiled and took a seat in the middle of the room.

For the next hour he gave his opinion on each dress Aurelia came out in. Each opinion was the same as the last: that she looked like a queen. Finally she quit asking, instead smiling at the dumbfounded look on his face. As her presentation evoled from bashful to sultry and confident.

She spun and studied her reflection. Magenta skirts spun out about her. "I've really never worn anything so grand." Huffing and throing her hands up, she turned to him. "I really can't decide. What's your favorite?"

"My-?" Hux raised an eyebrow. "What does it matter which I prefer?"

Aurelia shrugged. "You'll be seeing me in it all night."

A warmth vibrated through his chest. "Oh. I suppose that's true. Erm," he looked to the rack of dresses. "I guess I preferred the gold one. You looked delighted in it. Moreso than in the others."

"Then it's the gold one," she smiled.

* * *

The night of the gala arrived. Strange aliens passed by. Loud music pumped through the ornate front doors of a mansion. The event was generally held in a smaller venue, but word that the new Supreme Leader was attending spread quickly and the banquet ballooned into what Hux was certain would be the event of the year.

Despite the overtly political nature of the evening, he didn't mind. It was a break from the monotony and he quite liked dancing. Beside him, Kylo Ren looked bored and pained to be wasting his time. Hux ignored him. Not even Ren's foul mood could annoy him because Aurelia, clever and funny, was sparkling on his arm in a champagne gown with golden adornments that shone like the night sky. A small tiara was nestled into her caramel hair and he was certain the dignitaries and other military leaders could mistake her for royalty.

Inside the mansion, the crowd burst into hushed murmurs at their arrival.

"This feels different than I expected," Aurelia whispered. She was craning her neck this way and that, nearly as tall as him on her high heels.

Hux argued against her wearing them, but she insisted and he obliged without further argument. "How so?"

"I thought you said it was just dinner and dancing. Who are we trying to impress? The entire planet is staring at us." She held onto his arm tighter.

Hux squeezed her hand. "I should have warned you. Everyone will stare all evening. They rarely have physical contact with the Order this far out. They're merely trying to determine whether their opinions about us are correct." He felt her stiffen against him. "Let them look, my dear. You're ravishing and I can hardly blame them."

"Please," Ren suddenly spoke up. He rolled his eyes at Hux, who scowled. "Don't keep the girl in the dark." He looked to Aurelia. "This is a wealthy planet that provides the funds when we're in need of a loan. They want to make sure we're worthy of their resources. All you have to do is show up and kiss up and do it again next year." His lip tugged upward. "That's the real cost of war. Bullshit like this."

Intimidated, Aurelia nestled even closer into Hux's side. "The Order is in financial trouble?"

"No, thanks to these people," Hux cut in. "We merely need our leadership to attend this party and show our gratitude. It's a small price to pay." He shot Ren a look.

"Their leaders look powerful to their people and we get what we need." Ren studied Aurelia for a moment longer before turning to Hux. "Why an administrator?"

Hux stepped in front of her, but Ren already had the truth. His face lit up and he nearly laughed. "Ah," he drew out in interest. "I never took you for a scoundrel, Grand Marshal."

"Perhaps you and I are more similar than you thought," Hux sneered. Truthfully he'd wondered how long it would take before Ren sensed Aurelia's pregnancy and his involvement. The Force allowed the brute to read minds and assault people without lifting a finger. Of _course_ he could sense an unborn baby. "Mind your business, Ren. Where is Lt. Hoslo?"

The man in black shrugged lazily. "She's somewhere. I don't care for her company. She's only here because she has connections on the planet." His gaze flickered back to Aurelia. "There's something interesting about you, Ms. Smitte." His expression intensified and he leaned forward slightly.

Hux put the tip of his finger on Ren's chest. Teeth bared, he snarled, "Get out of her head. Immediately. I'll kill you if you fail to comply."

Ren grinned. "I see. Well. Let's put on a show for these assholes."


	5. Falling In

Aurelia was seated between Hux and Ren at dinner. The Grand Marshal kept an eye on her at first, but realized she was mirroring his prim and proper etiquette perfectly. No one would guess she hadn't done a dozen of these before. Down the table next to the Supreme Leader, Lt. Haslo was giving Aurelia a look of utter disdain.

Once the dishes were cleared, Kylo Ren gave a brief address that Hux had written for him. It sounded elegant enough, even in his clipped, aggressive tone.

Hux felt eyes on him. He held a thousand yard stare, looking past Ren, looking interested, looking at nothing and hearing everything. The applause at the conclusion of the speech. The scrape of chairs as attendees got up. Aurelia's soft breathing. The sharp way Lt. Haslo cleared her throat as she continued to glare.

"Well delivered," Hux commented as Ren sat back down.

"Well written," he replied curtly.

The men shared a brief look before a jolly alien with a large belly approached the table, singing out, "Gentlemen! My guests of honor! Might I have a word, my First Order lords?"

When they'd disappeared through the crowd, Lt. Haslo studied Aurelia and finally cleared her throat to get her attention. "So. Who'd you fuck to get here? It wasn't the Supreme Leader. I've tried. And I think the grand marshal is gay."

Too startled to formulate an answer, Aurelia just shook her head. "I'm just a guest, ma'am. Aurelia Smitte."

"I know exactly who you are. A nobody from HR on the grand marshal's arm? I don't think you're just a guest." She moved into Hux's empty chair and grabbed Aurelia's forearm. "How did you do it? I've belonged to the Order since I was a child. I've clawed my way up from the bottom to get here, and you just waltz in out of fucking nowhere." Her lip twitched. "That's not how it works. I want to know. I need to know."

Aurelia looked down and tried to pull her arm free. "I haven't done anything."

Haslo brought a fist down on the table. "I'm your superior and you will tell me how you won their favor!"

"You're causing a scene," Aurelia breathed. "Let go of me, ma'am."

Haslo stood abruptly, sending her chair clattering backward. She grabbed Aurelia's arm and yanked her up.

"Lieutenant," Hux barked, appearing out of thin air. "A word." He snatched her by the elbow and escorted her away from the table. "How dare you manhandle her in front of this audience." The words hissed out between his teeth. "I'll have you court marshaled and thrown in the brig."

"Who is she?" Haslo spat, sneering back toward the table, where Ren was leaning over Hux's empty spot and speaking with Aurelia. "You hand picked _her_? Why?" Her chest heaved. "State events are for high-ranking officers, not administrators."

"That's of no matter to you," Hux barked. "You'll treat her with the authority you _should_ be showing me, Lieutenant." He gave her a look that dared her to continue.

Haslo pursed her lips. "Aye, Grand Marshal. Forgive me. The wine."

"Lieutenant," Ren's voice came over the band. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, Supreme Leader."

"Good." He forced an awkward smile and extended his hand. "Now we need to go dance and look like there's not outright insubordination happening in front of the whole fucking high council." He squeezed her fingers and sent a surge of pain through her. "If you cost me even an iota more of their respect, I'll kill you in front of them. Understood?"

Cringing, she nodded. "Aye, Supreme Leader."

Hux turned and saw someone chatting with Aurelia near their table. He watched for a moment, mystified by her easy air and ability to get along with seemingly everyone, everywhere, even after Haslo's bizarre assault. The alien laughed at something Aurelia said, then extended a hand to her. Hux found himself moving rapidly toward them. "Aurelia, dear," he called jovially. "Won't you join me for a dance?"

The terrestrial scowled and skulked away.

"Thank you," she breathed in relief. "I didn't know whether it was proper to turn him away or if they'd see it as an insult." Wrinkling her nose, she shrugged. "I could tell you every code and regulation for the Order but when it comes to these state events I'm nervous to step out of line."

"I'll make it easy. Here's the next step," Hux said, offering his hand. "You'll dance with me and everyone will wonder who you are and where you're from. Soldiers and rulers will try to cut in and I won't let them. I'd like you to myself."

"Good." Aurelia squeezed his hand as he led her onto the dance floor past Ren and Haslo, who were putting on a good enough act to not draw attention.

They fell into hold, much closer than that of their counterparts, and moved easily to the music. Hux pressed his gloved hand against the small of her back and wished he could feel the skin of her other hand resting in his.

She leaned in, her lips brushing against his cheek as she whispered. "This is fun, but I can't help but feel like we've done a traditional date backward."

Her breath on his cheek sent chills down his neck. "Oh, you're saying it's _not_ customary to impregnate someone before you even know her last name?" He faked a grimace. "I should have paid more attention to our courses in human interactions. I've been doing it wrong all along."

Giggling, she leaned in. "Shh! The lieutenant will hear and pull a blaster out of her cleavage. She literally asked who I fucked to get here."

Hux spared her a glance. Haslo looked miserable in Ren's grasp. It was some consolation. "Her ambition will be the death of her."

"She thought you were gay."

Snorting, Hux shook his head. "The rumors are entertaining, at least; Ren submits to my sexual will and I've tamed the beast. He wears his collar high because of the hickeys, that he lusts after me." He raised an eyebrow. "I can't say I don't eagerly await the next raunchy scene they imagine us in. The creativity is inspiring. But you didn't correct her?" He leaned in and gently brushed his hand against her stomach. "You have the proof."

"No! She would have murdered me if I told her I really did have to fuck someone to get here." She moved a step closer, closing the gap between them. "It's nice to finally see you cut loose, Grand Marshal." Her smile was bright and wide, if not slightly mischievous.

Now he could hear the beading of her gown scraping lightly against his jacket. He chuckled and leaned in, overwhelmed by her light perfume. "You've seen me cut loose, darling," he whispered into her ear. Straightening once more, he looked into her face. The noise and commotion in the room had faded from his senses and it was only her, laughing and seeing straight through to his soul with those sky blue eyes.

"So maybe not _that_ loose," she giggled. "But you're different tonight. I like it." Their hips bumped together.

Hux took the opportunity to spin and dip her. "You must bring it out of me." Her weight in his arm was familiar as if he'd handled her a thousand times. She was right. Something was different. When he realized it, his breath caught in his chest.

Her hand moved to his cheek and she tilted her head and studied his face, her eyes flicking from his lips to his eyes.

"You musn't do that," he muttered.

She drew back as well and glanced around. Frowning, she looked around to gauge reactions of the other dancers. There were none. "Why?"

Hux couldn't stop the words, nor did he particularly want to. Self-preservation be damned, if she was going to break his heart, he at least wanted to plunge in fully clothed and unprepared. "Because it's making me fall in love with you."


	6. Fessing Up

For the second time, Hux and Aurelia stumbled into his quarters, blinded by lust and drunk on love.

Troopers had seen them all over each other, Hux knew, but he couldn't muster any concern. For all the shit Ren pulled, he was still in charge and respected and feared. Perhaps if the men saw Hux as a human, they'd relate to him more. Being seen as cold and calculating was tiring.

"You look so handsome in these dress blacks," Aurelia purred as she slid his greatcoat from his shoulders and let it puddle on the floor. "A shame they're coming off."

"If I didn't know better, I'd venture a guess you're trying to seduce me, Smitte."

She pulled him against her and leaned against the wall. Then her lips were at his, teasing him with soft sucking on his bottom lip. "Is it working?" she whispered. For just a moment she held his gaze before leaning in and pressing a series of passionate kisses to his neck just below his ear.

Hux tipped his head back and closed his eyes. She had him and she knew it. His trousers were suddenly uncomfortably restrictive and he panted in desire. The moment she pulled her lips away to whisper to him again, he hungrily pressed his mouth to hers, silencing her as he tasted her with the tip of his tongue. The sweet wetness of her was inviting in more ways than one.

"I thought of this every day since the party," she groaned against his lips. "Every time you come to my office. In the mess hall. When you cook."

One of his hands trailed down to her ass and squeezed. "Then I ought to ensure I live up to your fantasizing." He bent and locked his arms around her ass and picked her up easily, kissing her breasts as they pressed into his face. She shrieked and laughed as he marched to the bed and threw her down.

Her eyes never left him as she unhooked her gown and shimmied out of it impatiently. "No worries this time. You already knocked me up good, Grand Marshal." She knelt and reached for her strappy gold heels.

"Leave those on." Hux tossed his cap across the room and shrugged off his jacket. "If you don't mind."

She licked her lips and looked up at him from the bed, crossing her legs and drawing small circles with one heel. "Is that an order?"

He'd only just pulled off his shirt when his communicator buzzed on the nightstand. Hux looked up, a pained look on his face. "Not _now,_ " he hissed. "Ren, that idiot."

Aurelia looked at it expectantly. "Don't you need to see what he wants? It might be important."

"No." Hux looked over the length of her. "I have my own personnel issue to attend to."

She giggled. "Oh? Are you reconditioning a disloyal soldier?" She propped herself up on her elbows and stared at him, her gaze sultry. "Captured a dangerous rebel?"

 _Oh, yes._ Hux tsked theatrically. "Darling, I'm afraid that's above your clearance." He knelt and whispered in her ear, "But between you and me, I have a disobedient administrator to deal with. I'll have to break her entirely. Could take hours." He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I'm worried she'll like it."

"Don't go easy," Aurelia cooed. "You're a hard man. You've got a reputation to keep."

* * *

Some time later, Hux lazily flicked through the notifications glowing on his datapad screen as Aurelia finally unstrapped her heels and kicked them off.

KR: _We leave for one night and someone put LaPierre in control of a squadron? I swear I'll space that asshole if you don't get him under control._  
 _KR: On whose authority is he commanding a squadron? What the fuck?_  
 _KR: I'll deal with him myself if you don't. Five minutes._  
 _KR: Hux._  
KR: _Fuck. Are you with the girl? I'll handle LaPierre._  
 _KR: LaPierre's in the med bay. Support will need a new console in the main hangar._  
 _KR: You don't like him either. He had it coming._

AH: _Duly noted. Good night._

Hux snickered and flicked off the screen. He tossed it back onto the night stand and rolled over, his arm draping casually across Aurelia's bare waist. Millicent jumped onto the bed and curled up next to him, her steady purr vibrating through his back. "I could get used to this." He shifted slightly and sighed contentedly.

"Mmm," Aurelia agreed sleepily, reaching back and resting her hand on his hip.

"My alarm's set for 0500 hours."

"Hux. That's for three hours from now."

"Fuck."

* * *

On the sixth consecutive morning Aurelia woke up in his bed, Hux mustered the courage he'd lacked for weeks. "Have you given any further thought to my proposal?"

Aurelia nestled further into his chest and said nothing.

He tipped his chin down and saw that she was awake. "I would like a status report, no matter the answer you're considering. It wouldn't necessarily change anything, either way. Just future protections and assurances I can grant you and our child. And it will greatly impact my own self-worth, but no pressure," he joked.

Her shoulders twitched upward as she sniffled.

Regretting that he had no baseline for intimate female relationships, let alone a relationship with a pregnant female, Hux gingerly sat up. "Have I done something to upset you? I was only joking."

Her voice was no more than a whisper. "I can't marry you."

 _Ah, there it is._ The ache in his chest settled in instantaneously. Though he never experienced it, Hux recognized the sensation. Heartbreak. "Oh. Very well." He took a moment to force his lungs to breathe.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Aurelia began to cry. Uncertain whether it was due to hormones or the situation, he kept his distance on his side of the bed. "Might- might I just ask why you can't marry me?"

Now she turned and looked at Hux, sorrow and misery etched deep in her face. "You'll never forgive me."

Several scenarios played out in his head in quick succession. Cheating. A criminal past. A Rebel sympathizer. One of Ren's knights. One of Brendol Hux's men. Each option left him more uneasy than the last. Still, he had to know. "Aurelia. I'll not force you to do anything you don't want. I only ask that you fill me in. As the father of the child you carry, I think that's a justified request."

Visibly steeling herself, she took a breath, then looking him square in the eyes, she blurted, "I'm already married."

Hux studied her face for signs that she was lying but found none. "Impossible," he murmured. "I read your chart. Your family died in a rebellion on your home planet and there was no mention of a husband." Her deceit sliced through him and grabbed onto his heart, crushing it in its grasp. He wanted to lash out, to scream or shove her away and out of his life, but instead he stared blankly at her.

"Well, I have one. He's probably looking for me this instant. I doubt he ever stopped. He never _will_." Now staring at her hands, she told her tale. "Vero took me in after the rebellion. The new rulers were tyrannical. I wouldn't have lasted, single and decent-looking." She laughed bitterly. "He swept me off planet and took me to his home. It didn't seem bad at first. A home in exchange for sex? It was better than starving on the streets, worrying about whether I'd be alive the next day."

Hux listened raptly, watching in wonder when Aurelia got up from the bed and wandered to the window to stare into the depth of space. "I didn't even have clothes when I fled," she said. "He gave me everything but never let me forget it." Her fists clenched. "Things got bad and I tried to leave. He always found me. It didn't matter how far I went or how clever I was. He swore the next time would be the last time."

"Hells," Hux whispered.

She returned to the bed and perched on the edge. "So I joined the Order and changed my identity and status. My real name is Rylee Lackey." She sucked at her teeth before turning to face him. "I'm sorry. I wished a hundred times I could tell you. But whether I'm with him or not, I'm legally married. If it came to light? You can't risk it. It's only a matter of time before he finds me."

Hux crawled across the bed and dragged her into his lap. "Come here. No one's going to threaten you. Not while you're on my ship under my protection." He pressed a kiss against her forehead. Relief soothed his pounding heart. While he ached to hear her history, he was overjoyed that it was her love for him that kept her from marrying him. "What shall I call you? I'm fond of Aurelia, but perhaps you prefer Rylee."

Glaring through the tears, she tried to push him away. "Aren't you listening? You have too much to lose. Let go of me."

He unwound his arms from her waist and leaned back on his hands. "You're right. I do have too much to lose."

Aurelia stood abruptly, ire blazing in her eyes. "Okay. Good. Then it's decided. I'll go back to my station and that'll be the end of it. You have your answer." She stormed toward the door, her hand flying to her mouth as she cried out in anguish.

"Aurelia," he said calmly after her, " _you're_ what I can't bear to lose."

She hesitated and looked back over her shoulder at him. "What?"

At ease once again, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and began getting dressed. "One day I hope you'll be able to ask me when you need help. I'm glad you see me for more than my rank, but my privileges are yours to benefit from." He smiled. "Please don't cry. There's an easy fix, darling."

"There is?"

Hux nodded. "Ren can annul the marriage and you'll be free to do as you please, whether that's to marry me or not." He looked at her hopefully, trying not to look too excited.

Aurelia looked at him suspiciously. "Why would he do you that favor?"

Hux scoffed. "I don't see why he'd object to it. Ren has a girl of his own, as much as he tries to keep her a secret. He's made horridly questionable decisions in his personal life _and_ during battle that could only be attributed to his affection for her. Kylo Ren is deep in love. He'll understand." He laced his boots. "So," he repeated. "Aurelia or Rylee?"


	7. Splitting Up

"Supreme Leader, I've prepared a document I'd like you to sign."

Ren's office was rarely occupied. The man would rather hop in a ship and chase down his pet missions or skulk about his own quarters. The Supreme Leader _loathed_ paperwork, even though Hux took care of the brunt of it. Yet here he sat, overwhelmed by a backlog of things that needed _his_ approval and authorization. Ren sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What is it?"

"This is a personal matter." Hux sat down in the chair opposite Ren's desk. "Personal to me. You alone can amend the situation, unfortunately."

"What is it?" Ren repeated, not entirely disinterested.

Hux realized that winning this decree didn't guarantee any sort of future in which he was married to the mother of his child. Aurelia could simply relish in her new found freedom and deny his proposal. Still, he motioned to the guards. "In private, please."

Ren lazily motioned and the guards marched out. "What _is it?"_ His curiosity was apparent. "You've never asked me for a personal favor, General."

"Grand Marshal." Pursing his lips, Hux slid the datapad over and watched anxiously as Ren read through the decree.

"The girl from the gala?" Ren asked, looking up in surprise. "Really?" The front legs of his chair hit the floor with a _thud._ "You slept with a married woman?" Amusement lit up his face. "I didn't know you had it in you. Usually you're such an asshole about the rules."

"I didn't know she was married," Hux said firmly. "She separated from him for her safety, joined the order and changed her identity to escape." After a moment, he defensively added, "I'm no cad."

Now Ren was tapping into his own datapad. "Smitte. Human Resources?" He looked up. "She's not even an officer. Have fun explaining that to the rest of your generals." His voice was dripping with utter amusement.

Knowing Ren was seeking more details, Hux sighed and offered them up. "We met the evening of the victory party. Things progressed quickly. I'm only trying to amend the situation. She's agreeable to the annulment. Her signature's just there."

Enjoying the game, Ren grinned. "Plenty of officers father illegitimate children on this ship and no one cares enough to do anything about it. But not you." He leaned forward and put his hand out, reaching for Hux's face. "You love this girl? Show me."

"Oh, come on," Hux snarled as he felt Ren pry into his mind. Then Hux saw her: smirking after a quip, her hair splayed over the pillow as she slept, the freckles under her eyes. Her nervous grimace as she sat in his office to tell him she was pregnant, her mischievous smile as she pulled him away from the party with a drink still in her other hand. Her loud laughter, steady snoring, passionate gasp. Her scent. Her feel. The pride of knowing she loved him, and the slightest swell in her stomach was something he created with her. _Aurelia._ Kriff, how had he ever gone without loving her?

Ren sat back. "All right." He slashed his signature across the document and handed it back to Hux. "Annulled."

Halfway stunned, he took the pad and held it firm in his hands, afraid it was an illusion. "Thank you."

"By the way," Ren added, "the child is a girl. Congratulations."

 _A girl!_ Hux clutched the datapad against his chest. "A daughter?" Y _es, that would do nicely._ Someone strong yet delicate, able to conquer the world and put it back together again. Females were so much more eloquent in everything they did, and he was truthfully relieved to hear the news. Sons hadn't gone so well for the individuals in the room, after all.

"Oh, there's more."

"More?" Hux's heart pounded into his throat. "You didn't say anything at the gala - what more is there? Is she healthy?"

He smirked. "Oh, yes. She's strong. And she's Force-sensitive."

"What?" Hux spat. "That's preposterous. She's _my_ child."

"Yeah. Well, she is. Gotta go," Ren said, grabbing his cloak and striding toward the door, a rare wide grin on his face.

"Ren," Hux called. "How can that be? Ren! Is this a joke?"

* * *

It was near midnight. Aurelia huffed and rolled over in bed; sore and moody, frustrated at how she broke the news of her marriage to Hux, and most of all, starving. The day had been nothing but a shit show. The nausea and churning in her stomach wasn't entirely caused by the fetus sucking nutrients from her.

Hux was supposed to show up with a document that said her marriage was annulled and then propose in a spectacular fashion. Instead, Aurelia waited. When lunch time came around and the footfall of boots never came, Jory grimaced and shrugged back at her. At dinner, she couldn't bring herself to to go him. She was proud, too, and wasn't going to go crawling, a married woman begging her lover for his attention and forgiveness.

Now she missed him desperately. Giving up on sleep, Aurelia stretched and sat on the edge of the bed, immersed in thought. She was utterly in love with the grand marshal. She hadn't gone a day without spending time with him since before she revealed her pregnancy to him. Out of tears, she sighed and put on a silk robe and headed to her kitchenette to find something to eat.

She'd just blended a smoothie out of magenta berries when a familiar knock rang through the apartment. The whirring of the door sliding open followed.

"Aurelia?" Hux lingered in the doorway. "I'm surprised you're awake."

Holding up the glass of pink slime, she shrugged. "The kid's hungry."

"I'm glad." His eyes flickered to her stomach and his lips ticked upward for a moment. "Did- did you eat dinner?"

She set the glass down with a _clink._ "I can't do this; act like this morning didn't happen. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I thought if I could convince myself I was Aurelia Smitte, then maybe it'd eventually be true and Rylee's problems would go away. I never meant for any of this."

"One of your problems _did_ go away," Hux said, drawing his datapad from his coat. "You're officially an unwed woman. Decreed by our Supreme Leader."

She snatched the pad and stared at the notice. Her heart thudded. There it was, at the top of the lengthy document. _The marriage of parties Rylee Lackey and Vero Corren is hereby void and null by decree of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren._

Still standing in the doorway, Hux nodded to a trooper that marched by in the hall. "I was going to wait until you came by for dinner to tell you, but I took your absence as a sign that you wanted to be alone." He cleared his throat. "I tried to sleep, but hated the thought of you feeling badly."

"Come in," Aurelia said, handing back his pad. She gulped down the rest of her smoothie and rinsed out the glass, using the exercise to catch her breath and prepare herself.

Hux settled rigidly on her small settee. "Eating without you was strange. It hasn't been long, but I already missed you." He dared a smile. "You didn't eat from the meal plan, did you?"

"No." She laughed. _It's now or never._ "Permission to propose an idea?"

Perplexed by her formality, he nodded solemnly. "Permission granted."

"Marry me."

A parade of emotions crossed his face. When one finally stuck, he blurted, "Did you just propose to _me_?"

"Yes. Please don't faint."


	8. Showing Up

_One Month Later_

As much as he wanted to hated it, Kylo Ren appreciated the vibe of the wedding. It was simple but full of meaning. As Hux stood with him awaiting the bride, Kylo could feel his thoughts. Hux was remembering how it felt to doubt anyone could ever love him. Ren pitied the ginger general, but only because he knew the feeling quite well.

Yet now Hux had Aurelia and their baby. Ren was glad for that.

He was still shocked to be standing in front of everyone. The way it came about was amusing and he could hardly say no. Aurelia, oozing thankfulness for the annulment, requested a meeting with him and asked him to officiate the wedding. The idea struck him as something that would entirely grind Hux's gears, so Kylo eagerly agreed. The choice was a good one. When Kylo told Rey about it, the look on her face was worth whatever annoyance the wedding planning brought him.

Kylo looked back to his highest ranking general, his right hand man, his greatest threat, and one-time rial for the Supreme Leader's affection. Hux was passionate and fiery when needed but more often than not he kept his cool, even as the world fell apart. As Starkiller Base imploded and Ren bled in the snow, Hux strode in and heaved him over his shoulder with some struggle but no complaint. Sure, he reeked of resentment, but dutifully did what needed done.

Today that collected demeanor had gone away entirely. Hux was staring wistfully at the woman who was just beginning her walk down the makeshift aisle, his jaw slack and hands trembling. In his anxiousness, he'd forgotten his uniform gloves. Armitage Hux, the picture of uniform perfection, looked a bit disheveled, like a strong breeze had upset him. Ren looked back to the bride. Yes, this woman was exactly what the general needed.

Ren couldn't help but wonder if he'd be the same way if he were to wed Rey. The thought sent a swell of yearning through him.

" _Ren_ ," Hux hissed. Aurelia was standing next to him and they were looking expectantly at him.

"Right," Ren nodded. "Here we go."

The rest of the wedding was a blur. Vows were exchanged. Rings were traded. Tears were shed. Giggles were shared. Everything went as expected until a blaster shot zinged past Kylo's head.

He threw out his arm to stop any further attack. In an instant his saber was ignited in his other hand.

Hux dragged Aurelia to the ground and knelt over her, whipping a knife out of the sleeve of his jacket and brandishing it. "What the hell is this?" Hux hissed.

Ren scanned the small crowd and immediately spotted the assailant; a stormtrooper in full armor, blaster drawn. He _reeked_ of rage and Ren's own ire exploded to match. "Traitor!" he hollered, pushing the Force out to catch the man in his grasp. The trooper's blaster clattered to the ground and another guard snatched it.

"Are you all right?" Hux muttered, helping Aurelia to her feet. She nodded and he motioned to guards to see to her. He looked to Ren. "Who is this animal?"

"He's a trooper," Ren sneered. " _Obviously._ One of your new recruits?"

"Fuck you," Hux hissed through his teeth.

The trooper struggled, but it was no good against Ren's Force grasp. At last the man hung suspended in the air before the groom and officiant. "I'll gut you," the trooper choked. "I'll rip that bastard from your belly and kill the ginger general, too."

Aurelia stepped backward and bumped into a guard. "Vero."

Hux's lip twitched. "What?" He stepped forward and tore the trooper helmet off, revealing a handsome human with a cruel smirk, even as he choked at Ren's Force grasp.

"I'll kill you with my bare hands," Hux hissed.

"Ah," Ren nodded, his eyes narrow as he rummaged through the man's thoughts. "The abusive man I freed Ms. Smitte from. Joined the Order under a false name. He's been looking for her." He searched through his mind for a few more moments before withdrawing, a look of disgust on his face. Perhaps once he'd have turned a blind eye and left the man to his pleasures, obscene as they were. But now, knowing and loving Rey, he couldn't fathom the cruel plans for women in this man's mind.

Aurelia's chest heaved as she panted in bated terror.

"You're safe," Ren called reassuringly over his shoulder to her. "Would you like the first shot?"

She shook her head, her hands protectively cradling her stomach. "No," she whispered.

Vero squirmed against Ren's Force grasp, peered past him to Aurelia and managed to snarl, "I'll kill that bitch. _"_

Before Ren could react, Hux drew back and threw the most solid punch of his life. Kylo cringed at the sound of Vero's nose breaking. He let the man crumple to the ground, reeling from impact. Yet he hadn't had enough. Vero looked up to the general and sneered. "And the baby, too."

Hux cried out and struck the man again.

"I'd like to see you try," Ren added. "I have _plans_ for that kid."

"My child," Hux snarled back at Ren, "will have no part in your scheming."

Vero stirred on the ground.

"Kill him," Ren whispered to Hux. "For what he's done. For what he's thinking now. For what he wanted to do to her." For the first time, he looked to Hux as an ally. So maybe he was a conniving, manipulative man who went after what he wanted no matter the cost. But at the moment, he was a man concerned for nothing more than the well-being of his wife and baby. Ren would do the same for Rey. Something clicked and made him hate the general slightly less.

With a flick of his hand, Vero was hanging in the air once again.

"Kill him, Hux."

Ren watched Hux draw his knife once again and march toward the man. This wasn't the groom, no, it was Grand Marshal Hux who ordered his ruthless father be killed and who served as a child soldier. This was a man of action. At the last second Hux's lip curled into a savage sneer, teeth bared as he slit Vero's throat. Red sprayed dramatically. Hux and Ren simply stepped out of the way as the body crumpled into a limp pile on the ground.

Aurelia's knees locked, but Ren easily swept her into his arms and held her bridal-style as she fainted.

Hux motioned to a guard. "Since you're worthless for much else, dispose of this asshole."

* * *

On the last night of shore leave, Ren unintentionally found Hux at a small corner pub. It had been Ren's favorite place to stop and get away from the numbskulls in the Order, but this time he didn't mind the company. He joined the general at the bar.

"Ren," Hux nodded. "Thank you."

He returned the gesture. "Sorry about your wedding."

Hux had been in seclusion with his new bride since the wedding five days ago. Whether they were devastated by the security breach or overjoyed to be married, no one had any idea. Ren suspected a mix of both.

"This is not how I wanted any of this to go," the redhead sighed. "She'll remember this shotgun weding as something she only got because she was pregnant, and instead of some sort of consolation, it was an attempt on her life. Kriff. Her life has been a mess since she spent a night with me." He drained his drink and poured another.

Ren decided to throw him a bone. "She loves you. It would have happened naturally, probably."

Hux looked up. "Why are you being so decent?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps we aren't so different, after all."

Raising an eyebrow, Hux smirked. "Really? Is your scavenger girl pregnant?"

Ren twitched, then cleared his throat. The gig had been up for Hux since before it even began. Neither of them dared to speak of Rey from Jakku, but here it was. Yes. Something about their dynamic was checking and Kylo couldn't put his finger on why. "No," he answered with a chuckle. "She's not."

Hux nodded. "Good." Then he began to laugh, slow and stifled at first, then a loud guffaw. Doubt fizzled into contagion. Ren laughed, too. Soon both men were roaring.

Ren reached for the bottle as Hux wiped tears from his cheeks. "You drink?" the general asked in surprise.

"Sometimes." Ren raised an eyebrow and then his glass. "Here's to the ways we've fucked our lives up."

Beaming, Hux nodded and raised his own. "Hear, hear."


	9. Leaning In

There was never a dull moment in the First Order, and not even a brief few weeks of wedded bliss could change that.

Almost immediately after shore leave, the First Order crossed a band of rogue pirates. Thanks to the treaty with the Rebellion, Kylo Ren was bored. When opportunities arose, he jumped on them with passion and excitement. Today was no exception, even though he was leaving on a _private_ mission.

That meant the task of annihilating the pirates fell to Grand Marshal Hux.

"I want every ship and pirate blown out of the sky," Ren ordered as he put on his own flight suit. "No prisoners. They're not just smugglers. They're the band that pillaged that settlement on Felucia and wiped the people out." He pulled on his gloves. "They deserve to be killed. All of them. I'll return in two days' time. I trust the battle will be long over."

"Aye, Supreme Leader." Hux saluted, then dared to pull a cocky smirk."Tell Rey and the rebels hello."

Ren gave him a warning look.

"Your secret is safe with me," Hux scoffed. "I'm just glad you'll be out of the way."

* * *

The pirates were more organized, armored, and weaponized than the First Order expected.

Hux was on a one of the fleet's new war crafts, excited to see its power and agility. Despite the unforeseen challenges, the battle didn't strike him as particularly daunting.

A young lieutenant was trembling at her console disagreed. She fumbled with her controls, only ragged gasps serving as breathing.

Hux knelt beside her, only panicking her further. "Lt. Montigue."

She avoided eye contact until she steadied her breathing enough to pass for human. "Sir?"

"It's all right." His voice came our harsher than he intended. "It's all right," he tried again in a more soothing tone. "Is this your first battle?"

With wide eyes, she nodded. Her lip began to quiver and Hux wondered if it was caused by her fear or by his intimidating presence.

"Simulation can only take you so far," he explained. "Consider this the next step of training and it'll be easier." Hux offered a smile. "I've survived dozens of battles. You'll come out unscathed on the other side, I assure you. What can space pirates do against the greatest military power in the galaxy?"

After a deep breath, she nodded. "I'm sorry, Grand Marshal. I wish I was as calm and collected as you always are. Forgive me."

"A life of practice," Hux replied casually. "As you were, Lieutenant."

The First Order cannons made easy work of the larger vessels. The smaller, faster pirate ships darted between laser blasts, getting an occasional shot at the First Order destroyer. Hux watched the enemy indicators drop off the screen rapidly. Surrender or absolute annihilation were the only options for the scum. They seemed to be stupidly chosing to fight to their last instead of turn and escape. It made no matter to the First Order. Sooner or later the pirates would be squashed underfoot.

Victorious chaos broke out on the bridge as the last of the destroyers had gone up in flame and crashed from orbit. Now only smaller vessels remains.

"Well done," Hux called over the ruckus. "We'll finish this and be home before supper."

"Sir," a commander called over the noise. "Reinforcements are arriving from hyperspace. A lot of them."

Hux spun back to the screen and felt his stomach drop. Destroyers larger than the one they were on were arriving one after the next. "It's an ambush!" he cried. "All units-"

Fire and sound exploded from every direction.

* * *

Ren stormed back onto the Finalizer, the Force tugging him in a million different directions and causing a huge spike in his normally contained anxiety. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong. They were _pirates,_ not a military outfit. Yet here they were, an entire squadron wiped out, and with it, the man he sent to his doom.

A trio of troopers stumbled out of the way as Ren crashed between them.

Loss stung bitterly, but his thoughts lunged for the girl who so excitedly asked if he'd perform her wedding. Aurelia loved Hux desperately and now she would face the birth and life of their child alone. Ren uneasily recalled tales of his own grandmother, who died in birth, falsely thinking she had lost her husband.

If he had been in that battle instead of Hux, would the outcome have been different? Surely he would have sensed the trap. Yet Hux was no moron, though Ren hated to admit it, even to himself.

All that remained was that Ren unwittingly sent Hux to his death.

Heaving a sigh and throwing open the situation door room, he marched in, barking questions and orders.

The team of generals looked all too pleased to be up for promotion. Their eager beady eyes made Ren's lip curl. There was ambition and then there was malice.

"Clean this mess up. Hunt them down. No one decimates a First Order ship and gets away. _No one."_

 _"_ And what of the Grand Marshal?" a fat grey-haried alien asked.

"I'll inform his wife," Ren said suddenly. "She's familiar with me. She needs to hear it from me. The station won't be filled until we find those responsible. Consider that motivation."

The general shifted. "Supreme Leader, don't burden yourself with Ms. Hux. I'll be happy to-"

"Did you mishear?" Ren roared, throwing the general's chair backward. His head thumped against the wall and tentacles waved animatedly.

There it was. The emotions. As much as he hated him, Ren could no longer deny his kinship with Armitage Hux. But it was too late.

"Supreme Leader," Aurelia exclaimed, rising from her desk. Whether it was because everyone knew or things were progressing that quickly, her flat stomach seemed to swell dramatically almost overnight.

The sight made him feel lightheaded. "Come with me." Ren waited for her to follow, then silently led her back to the quarters she shared with Hux.

Nervousness radiated from her. Ren gritted his teeth. She had no idea what was about to happen. Her life was normal and fine now, and he was the one who was going to upset everything.

Aurelia reached to enter the door code but smiled nervously when Ren used the Force to slid it open. "I'm envious of your powers," she remarked. "They're so practical, Supreme Leader."

"Sit down, Ms. Smitte."

The color drained from her face. Her hands went to her stomach and she dropped into the cushions of the couch obediently. "No," she whispered, her blue eyes locked on Ren's face. Her mouth moved up and down wordlessly for a moment before she managed to ask the question. "Is he missing or dead?"

"Missing. Presumed dead."

Aurelia said nothing.

"They were ambushed on a mission." He lingered awkwardly, unsure whether he should sit beside her and comfort her or just leave her to process her new life. "I'm sorry."

"I don't remember the last thing he said to me," she said. Panic ignited her face. "I can't remember." Then the sobs came.

"It's not important," Ren muttered, gingerly sitting down. "Don't focus on the last things."

Wails filled the room.

When he finally stepped back into the hallway outside the Hux's quarters, Ren clutched his chest, gritted his teeth and groaned. "Rey," he called out urgently. Seeing a vision no one else could, his lip trembled slightly. "Rey. Ask me to join you. Ask me anything. I'll do it." After a momentary pause, he swallowed. "Because I love you."


	10. Helping Out

_Five Months Into Pregnancy_  
Ren stared at the empty spot on the bridge.

The generals were all but snarling at each other, trying to prove themselves the alpha to earn their spot as Grand Marshal. Normally Ren immediately promoted to fill spots before bodies were even cool, but this time was different.

"I have something I need to do," Ren muttered, storming off the bridge.

Rey took news of Hux's death strangely. For never knowing the man, she was almost obsessively insistant that Ben do his part to ensure Aurelia Hux's wellness, and that of her unborn child. He tried to ignore her demands that he check in on the woman and ensure the health of her baby, but Rey was persuasive. A month passed and finally his resolve broke.

Kylo Ren had never been in the Human Resources department. It was certainly more welcoming than the rest of the ship, but that didn't mean he'd be spending time there. He approved whatever they wanted, preferring not to read the actual fine print. _Kriff, I miss Hux._

"Ms. Smitte?" he barked at the receptionist.

"Ms. Smitte-Hux, actually. Y-yes, she's at her desk," Jory stuttered, standing to escort him back.

Instead, he blew past her. "Aurelia," his voice boomed through the office. Administrators gasped and straightened but he ignored the lot of them.

"Supreme Leader?" Aurelia greeted him.

Ren sucked in a breath. Hux's widow. The word never would have fit her before, but the shocking loss transformed her. It had only been a month since he broke the news to her, but she would have been easy to miss in a crowd now even as he searched for her. Aurelia was once young and healthy, full of joy and expecting a child she was over the moon about. Now she was listless and lost, sitting at her desk, mindlessly plowing through her work. Aurelia's glow had gone entirely. Life had a wy of doing that, Ren supposed.

"Come with me," Ren ordered.

A sad smile passed her lips. "The last time I did, my husband was dead. Now what?"

"Lunch."

She stared at him incredulously. "Lunch?"

Ren suddenly felt stupid and mentally cursed Rey for the suggestion. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Not particularly."

Ren drew Hux's secondary datapad from his robes and swiped to a long list. "You're supposed to eat meals from this list. It's been brought to my attention by the protocol droid I assigned you that you aren't eating _at all_. Your baby needs food. We're going. That's an order."

Aurelia stared up at him, her lips parted. "You almost sound like him."

"Let's go. I'm not asking."

* * *

Officers of all ranks stared in disbelief. The Grand Marshal's pregnant widow was seated across from the Supreme Leader in the officers' mess hall. Muffled chatter spread like floodwater and Ren pretended not to hear it.

Aurelia watched him across the table with suspicion. "What does my baby matter to you?"

"You're on my ship. You matter."

She pursed her lips. "I may be vulnerable, but don't think you can swoop in and prey on me."

"How Hux-like of you," Ren sneered. In his periphery he saw Rey watching the conversation with a knowing smile at her lips. She was a phantom to all but him, thanks to a strong Force connection between them. Her calm smile gave him some direction. He took a breath and steadied his voice. "I just want to help you. I'm not here to replace Hux or raise his baby."

"Good. You could never be him."

Ren huffed. "I'm just trying to help." He looked down at his food for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Her skepticism was misplaced and it cut him deeper than he expected. What was Rey thinking? He wasn't the best candidate to see to Aurelia.

"Tell her," Rey urged him gently. "She might not know the Force, but she knows you're keeping something from her." She brushed her fingers across the back of his neck.

He wanted to reach back and grasp her hand or turn and speak to her, but there would be no excuse. Aurelia was glaring at him across the table with the same sort of derision her husband saved for him.

"I sent Hux on that mission," he blurted. "He should have been here, but I was busy and he took my place."

Aurelia sighed. "He would have gone regardless. You owe me nothing."

"I do," Ren snapped. "It's unfair that a child has to grow up with no father. She didn't do anything to deserve that."

"She?" Aurelia's hands dropped to her stomach. "Did you say 'she?'" She beamed. "A girl?!"

"I'm sorry," Ren added quickly. "Hux knew. I thought he would have told you." Trepidation that he ruined the surprise was squashed as the woman's smile spread across her face and lit up her eyes at long last.

She was cradling her stomach and beaming. "You can tell things like that with the Force? Can you feel her now?" She lunged across the table and snatched his hand. Before he could stop her, she planted it over her stomach.

Rey giggled and tugged at a tuft of his hair. "Have fun. I have to go."

He nodded to both women, watching out of the corner of his eye as Rey faded from sight. Back in the physical world, his long fingers reached over Aurelia's entire bump. The Force stirrings within seemed to excite at his touch. Positive energy. Growth. Hunger. "Yes. She's healthy. Strong." Ren drew his hand back. "But you still need to eat for you. How much longer until she's born?"

"Four months."

"Good. _Eat."_

Aurelia nodded and eagerly picked up her fork at last.

Ren watched her for a few moments before leaning forward. Had he known revealing the gender would bring her back from the brink of the dark side, he would have spilled the beans months earlier. Perhaps the rest of the story would excite her further to sustain her through the rest of the pregnancy and beyond. "I expect Hux didn't tell you the rest, then?" He raised an eyebrow toward her.

Aurelia's fork clattered back to the table. "The rest? Is it good? Oh, Kriff. Are there twins?" She swallowed and braced herself for his answer.

"No, no," Ren answered quickly. "There's just one baby. I think it's good news. Hux didn't," he added with a wolfish grin. "Your daughter has the Force."

"The Force?" Aurelia repeated. "Like?" She pointed at him. "The _Force?_ How? I'm not, and Hux certainly didn't have it."

Ren nodded. "Dark rises and light to meet it," he muttered. "There's been a surge in Force individuals." He waited for her excitement to shoot her through the ceiling, but instead a careful calm settled over her. "If you choose to remain with the First Order, I can help you. Your daughter's powers will need to be harnessed. I'll teach her myself." The offer came before he even gave it serious thought. Once it floated from his lips, he realized he wanted nothing more than to pass on what he knew. He wanted to teach the younglings the _right_ things about the Force, not brainwash them one way or the other. He imagined Hux's outrage and couldn't help but chuckle darkly. "Your husband would have killed me for the offer."

Aurelia touched her stomach thoughtfully. "You're not as bad as they all say," she said. "I never would have believed that the Supreme Leader would want to train my baby." She shook her head in disbelief. "Life is strange."

"Destiny had greatness in store for you."


	11. Giving In

Six _Months Into Pregnancy_

The baby was a traitor.

Aurelia angrily squirmed in bed and tried to squash down her annoyance. The girl in her abdomen was active most of the time, but became near frantic when Kylo Ren was around. She expressed her feeling of betrayal to the supreme leader, but he only shrugged and suggested the baby sensed the strong Force radiating off of him. Doubting it, Aurelia had ignored the comment and moodily finished her second plate of lunch.

Now she curled in Hux's bed, sighing and playing holograms of him, happy to hear his voice, even if it was ranting passionately about military prowess or victory. Millicent jumped onto the bed and curled against her belly. The cat purred and rolled over, batting playfully at the phantom image of her master. At least the cat knew enough to miss Hux, Aurelia thought bitterly. She let tears leak from her eyes unchecked. Even if she wasn't pregnant, Hux's death would have left her feeling just as empty. How could life go on? In a matter of months he changed her perspective and freed her from all that she knew. He loved her and the galaxy was a worse off place without his ruling hand.

Aurelia petted Millicent and let her arm rest against her large stomach. No, she couldn't raise a Force child on her own, but the bond her daughter would surely form with Kylo Ren was one that should have been reserved for Hux.

The Force giveth and the Force taketh away.

The next evening Aurelia stared Kylo Ren down across the mess hall table. "It's been months and I feel like all we ever talk about is the baby. I think it's time I know something about you, if you're going to have a part in my daughter's life."

Ren shrugged and stared back.

Aurelia leaned forward on the table, determined to drag _something_ out of him. "Hux said you have a girl out there."

Ren bristled, then relaxed. "I guess."

Pleased to have an answer, she sat back and dug back into her gargantuan plate of vegetables. "What's she like?"

"Fiery. Strong. Stubborn." He poked at his food uneasily.

Aurelia smiled. "I like that you didn't say pretty. That says a lot about a man."

Ren scoffed and looked up defiantly. "She _is_ beautiful. And clever. But it's more important that she's who she is."

"Does she know you're taking care of a pregnant widow? I'd hate for her to be jealous for no reason. I've already felled one high ranking First Order official. I may be cursed." Aurelia gave him a warning look, then snickered.

"She knows."

"Not going to tell me who she is? Fine. Hux said you're a good fit, for what it's worth." At least it was some sort of connection. Aurelia finished her dinner and yawned. She stood. "Have a good night, Supreme Leader."

He stood and reached out toward her stomach hesitantly. "May I?"

"Of course." She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her swollen belly. Inside something twisted and stretched, pushing against her belly into his palm. He watched in wonder and held his hand closer.

"What can you tell?" Aurelia asked anxiously.

Ren shook his head. "I – I don't know. She's healthy. She doesn't have thoughts yet. I've never tried to read something so young. It's different." He narrowed his eyes and lowered his head as if he was listening. "It's strange, isn't it?" A small smile was at his lips.

So maybe he wasn't her husband. Maybe Hux was gone and her time with him was short. Aurelia took a deep breath and allowed herself to smile as the baby turned excitedly in her stomach. Life was going to turn around and she'd soldier on somehow.

Hux would have accepted nothing less of her.

It was business as usual on the bridge later that day until a familiar voice crackled through an open communication channel.

" _Supreme Weeper Crylo Ren, please. Contacting Crylo Ren._ "

Ren's head snapped to the console. _Dameron._ His mother's prized pet pilot. _Cocky bastard._

"Supreme Leader, I presume he's asking for you," a lieutenant said, not daring to laugh at the Rebel on the other end.

Ren marched to the console, ignoring the smirks from the fat old generals. "Dameron. What do you want? I called off the search for your band of traitors and half-wit fighters months ago. Whatever you have to say is a waste of my time."

Poe made a disappointed tsk. " _Leia says I'm supposed to tell you I'm a better son than you ever were_."

Ren snarled at the transmission and desperately wished he could reach out and throttle the cocky pilot.

" _Yeah, listen. I've got one of your guys._ "

His lip curled further. "FN-2187 has traitor friends? How unsurprising. If a defector found their way to you, keep them. Kill them. I don't care." He motioned to an officer to check the files.

" _Nah_ ," Dameron's voice came. " _He's very much_ _no_ _t a traitor. You wanna talk to him?"_

"I don't give a shit who it is. If they're stupid enough to be captured, keep them." He glanced to the officer, who was shrugging at the roster.

"All accounted for," she replied in confusion.

" _Hugs, I guess he don't wanna talk to you."_

"Hux?" Ren spat. "Grand Marshal Hux is dead. What are you trying to do? Distract us? Stall us? I should have destroyed you when I had the time."

" _Ren. Let me speak to Aurelia._ "

Ren's blood ran cold. It was a dead man speaking.


	12. Waking Up

Rebel pilot Poe Dameron sat on a desk, swinging his legs casually as if he was chatting with an old friend. Instead, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren was receiving his transmissions and becoming less interested in the conversation by the second.

Grand Marshal Armitage Hux listened eagerly. He was loosely restrained in his chair, but for his own safety. Death narrowly missed him and he certainly looked the part. Purple bags hung under his eyes in his pale, thin face but the blue orbs shone with excitement. _Home!_ The last day had been exhausting physically, emotionally, and intellectually. But this was a turn in the right direction.

Pointing at Hux, Poe he held the mic out. _Say something,_ he mouthed, his mop of dark hair ruffling in the gentle breeze blowing through the tent.

"Ren," Hux pleaded. "Let me speak to Aurelia."

Poe gave him a thumbs up. It was going according to plan. Then the communicator hissed static. "No, no, not now!" he exclaimed. "You're shitting me." Poe pressed the transmit button a few more times, but received nothing but the same hiss. "Kriffing trash. Can't we get _one_ piece of equipment that isn't junk?" He pounded on the transmitter to no avail.

Hux's head hung in defeat. His hair was long enough to fall into his eyes now, but he didn't bother to shake it back. Things had been going swimmingly well since yesterday, but his luck had to run out sometime.

He woke up twenty six hours ago as the last drops of bacta fluid drained from the tank he was suspended in. Hux's eyes were barely open when Dameron pounced on him, chattering excitedly as he unhooked him and pushed medics out of the way, boldly asserting Hux was his old friend and would prefer him to do it. Blinking and sputtering as his body took back over, Hux tried to stand on his own. He swayed and stumbled back to the ground.

Poe simply dragged the general into his lap. "Sit down, Hugs," he cooed. "You're all right. Give it a second, huh? It's been three months you've been in there. You were practically dead when we saw you floating with the debris."

Though he didn't believe it at first, Hux slowly recalled what happened. Pirates. Ambush. Explosions, darkness, and then silence. That's when his recollection stopped. Apparently he was the sole survivor, lucky enough to land in an oxygen pocket in the debris. Hours later, the resistance stumbled upon the wreckage and detected a living life form by sheer dumb luck.

In the first few hours of consciousness, Hux's emotions went haywire. Heaving and shaking, he gasped for breath in the infirmary, face buried in Poe's chest. It made no sense that he should live when everyone else was dead. The young lieutenant he swore he'd see on the other side of battle was gone, dying in terror and agony. Her shaky voice echoed through his head.

Hux was angry to be in the filthy Rebel hands and confused at their kindness. Gratefulness to be alive mingled with horror that Aurelia was pregnant and alone. Choking back sobs, he couldn't speak for what felt like hours. The entire time, Poe did what he could to comfort him, from singing folk songs from his home planet and telling stupid jokes.

That was yesterday. Today was a new day and when Hux awoke, he forced himself back to business as usual. Death passed him over and that was enough blubbering over it. The Order was in the hands of some incapable idiot, he was sure. Hux needed to get back. Staring impatiently at Poe as he tinkered with the malfunctioning transmitter, he snapped, "Can't you operate any faster?"

The pilot rolled his eyes. "Easy, Hugs. I found your personnel file and know why you want to get back so eagerly. You're a newlywed! I don't blame you," Poe teased. "But you've been dead for a while. Maybe she moved on from you and will change her mind about you when she sees me." He wiggled his eyebrows. "I'll name one of the kids after you."

The white and orange droid BB-8 beeped in approval from the corner of the tent.

"Nice try. I already got her pregnant," Hux found the strength to joke. "And on the first try."

Poe's face lit up. "She's pregnant! Oh, shit! Congratulations!" He clapped him on the back. "We'll get you home, buddy. That's exciting. Oh, man. You should have told me sooner."

"Like when I was unconscious for three months?" he sneered. Three months. _Three months._ His chest constricted with a dull ache.

"Ah, c'mon, Hugs. Drop the attitude. I'm not gonna steal your wife. I actually _like_ you, ya First Order asshole." He ruffled Hux's hair and knelt to look into his face. "You feeling all right? Need to lie down?"

Hux checked in with his body, then shrugged. "All things considered, I feel fine."

"Yeah, I've never seen a dead guy look so alive." Poe sighed. "I bet the Order's on their way now. Kylo Ren knows Rey could suck any information out of you she wanted. He's not gonna blast us up, right? He'll stick to the treaty?"

"Rey? The scavenger girl? She's here? Of course she is," Hux muttered to himself. "I suspect she already extracted information from me. Is _that_ why you picked me up?"

"No," Poe scoffed. "We didn't even know it was you. But imagine how excited I was when we saw your ID. Huggsie in the flesh!" He turned over his shoulder and called to the tent across from his own. "Hey, Rey? C'mon in here, would you?"

The scavenger girl appeared through the flap a moment later. Hux studied her. Wiping her greasy hands on a rag, she offered a smile. She was different than he remembered. Jakku nobody before, now with the confidence that was evidently a companion to Force skills. Rey could destroy a man with her mind and knew it. Her swagger matched one he'd seen before.

"Rey," he greeted her.

"General Hux, I presume," she said. For a moment she studied his expression.

He grimaced, but unclenched his jaw as he realized she wasn't pushing into his mind. It was a pleasant surprise. None of Ren's associates were to be trusted, especially his love interest. But there was something immediately amiable about her presence.

Poe gestured between them. "We got Kylo Ren for long enough for Hugs to speak. You think he'll come for him? Is there any other way to send a message? He isn't ready to hop in a ship yet. Oh, and Hugs thinks you were rifling through his brain when he was out."

"No," Rey breathed in disgust. "I wouldn't do that without your permission. I know Be- Kylo does it without asking, but we're different. You don't have anything I don't already have access to, anyway."

Entirely unconvinced, Hux pursed his lips. "So you have a First Order prisoner. You're going to simply send me back, having gained nothing? You're either all stupid or playing a different angle."

Rey and Poe exchanged glances, wearing identical faces.

"You're not a prisoner," Poe scoffed.

Rey crossed her arms. "We _saved_ you."

Hux narrowed his eyes, still feeling too sluggish to detect a trap. "Right."

"Good news," Poe sang out, desperate to change the subject to something more upbeat. "His wife's having a baby!" He clapped Hux on the arm. "Good thing he woke up in time, huh?"

Rey smiled pleasantly. "That's right! A daughter."

Hux looked up in surprise. "Ren," he accused her.

"Ren?" Poe echoed, tool clanging off the metal transmitter case in surprise.

"Oh," Rey shrugged, her look of panic not passing quickly enough to go undetected. "Don't worry about it." She cleared her throat. "But, erm, I'll talk to him and see what's going on. I doubt he'd leave his highest ranking officer in our filthy rebel clutches."

Poe stared in disbelief. "What do you mean you'll talk to him? Is that why you get so weird sometimes? Running off and being secretive? Because you're talking to Kylo Ren?"

"Shut up."

Poe leaned forward, wrench dangling from his fingertips. "Rey. I can't even get two minutes of a conversation through. How do you-"

"The Force!" Hux interrupted. He sat up straighter, testing the weakened muscles in his back. They stretched but didn't ache. "So that's it. You _have_ been in Ren's head these last months. His judgment has swung drastically to one side. I knew it wasn't him."

"Shut up," Rey snapped again. "I'll arrange your transport. By the way," she added as she stepped through the tent flap, "your daughter has the Force."

Poe gawked as she disappeared back to her own tent. "What? How's that work?"

Sighing, albeit happily, Hux shrugged. "I imagine the sudden rise in Force individuals? The surges that idiot Ren constantly sends through me? I haven't a clue. I wasn't planning on a child at all and now mine will be able to throw me across the room with its mind."

"Oh, well. It's a good surprise, Hugs! You're married. It's not like you knocked up a random girl."

Hux couldn't help but grin. "No, it's exactly that." He was beginning to like Dameron and his saintly vision of him. Destroying it was fun.

"Hugs!" the pilot's face twisted from bemusement to horror. "I didn't know you had it in you. I thought you were a stuffy First Order guy."

"Oh, I am," Hux replied with a stoic smile. "When the uniform's _on_ , at least."

* * *

The dead man's words hung heavy in the air before the communication went dead.

After a moment, a young commander stood abruptly. "I'll inform Ms. Smitte-Hux."

"No," Ren growled, freezing him in his tracks with a lazy reach of his hand. The Dug struggled against his invisible bonds before going limp in defeat. Ren sneered. "No one tells her anything, Commander."

"But the Grand Marshal is alive. You heard his voice. That was him."

"It could be a trick," Ren barked. He briefly held eye contact with everyone on the bridge. "No one says a word about Hux to his wife. As far as the Order is confirmed, he's dead. That's an order."


	13. Drinking Up

Hux straightened the flight suit Poe loaned him. Hopefully no one mistook him for a rebel. Oddly enough, he missed the annoying, cocky pilot, but took solace in his female chaperone.

Rey was sitting contentedly on a large boulder, twirling her staff absent-mindedly. She'd given Kylo Ren coordinates to their remote location and assured Hux that Ren would be there to pick him up in no time. For now she picked at grease beneath her fingernails and yawned in the fresh air. The quiet didn't bother her and she didn't feel the need to fill it with pointless chatter.

As much as he wanted to trust her, Hux refused to fall for her sweet face and easy way. "You speak to Ren telepathically." It was more statement than question.

"Well," the rebel snorted. "I can't just _think_ something to him. It has to be out loud." She dangled her feet from her perch on the rock and began to swing them back and forth. "Everyone thinks you've gathered information on us. They really wanted you dead. Poe and I saved your life. You really could say thanks, you know."

Hux watched her kick her legs. The childish motion annoyed him until he realized like him, an orphan scavenger likely had a similar lack of adolescence as she struggled to simply survive during her formative years. Kindness snatched at him and he tilted his head slightly. Perhaps they weren't so different after all. "I have no interest in spreading any information I know about your friends," he reassured her. "As a small retribution for your kindness, I give you my consent to read my thoughts. Look as you wish. There are no plans regarding your resistance."

Rey shook her head, but smiled all the same. "I'll take your word for it, General. Wanna play cards while we wait?"

Hux didn't even correct her. He smiled. "I'd love to."

They were several hands in when the First Order ships appeared out of hyperspeed. The sonic blast ruffled their hair and briefly unsettled them.

"He's here!" Rey squeaked, scrambling off the boulder and practically skipping toward the landing vessels.

"I suggest you hide your affection for Ren better before the officers," Hux warned. "They'd love to exploit that kind of thing."

"You won't, though, will you?" She turned back to him briefly, studying his face. Satisfied with whatever she saw, she spun back to the ships as they began to land. "Good. Now look like you're grateful to me. I need that extra push."

Hux cocked an eyebrow and stood as straight as his muscles would allow. He'd only been waiting out here with her for half an hour, but he was exhausted and his muscles were trembling and aching. "Push for what? And _Dameron_ did the legwork of bringing me back to life."

"They don't know that." Rey scrutinized the First Order officers as they exited their craft with weapons trained on her. A small smile flickered at her lips when the supreme leader exited the ship at last.

Ren strode to them and stood looking down his nose from Hux to Rey. "What information did you take from him? You know that would violate the terms of the treaty keeping your rebel friends alive."

"Nothing," Rey answered, rising up on her toes to better meet his gaze. "Look for yourself if you don't believe me." She jutted out her chin in defiance. "My mind is yours, _Supreme Leader_."

"It is," Ren agreed seductively. "But why haven't you taken advantage of the general?" His dark eyes clipped briefly to Hux, then back to Rey.

"Grand Marshal," Hux answered in annoyance, stepping forward between the pair. "Where is my wife?"

"She's not here," Ren answered briskly. "I had to make sure you were really alive before we involved her." He looked Hux over and frowned. "You look terrible." He glanced at Rey. "You found him like this?"

"Worse," Rey added.

Hux huffed. "I spent the past three months nearly dead in a bacta tank. Let's go."

Ren bristled. "Patience. Aurelia waited months. A few more hours won't hurt." Hux stood blinking stupidly and Ren turned his attention back to Rey, desperately thinking of something to keep them on the same planet. "I can't send you back to your rebel friends without knowing your motivation for releasing my officer. What do you want? Credits? An alteration to the truce?"

"I want something, all right," Rey smirked. She leaned in, her voice a whisper. "I want to join you."

Hux and Ren stared back at her in surprise. A few officers shifted and exchanged glances and murmured to one another, speculating to what was being said between the trio.

Rey cleared her throat and addressed the officers, gesturing toward Hux. "This was an act of good faith to show the First Order that I'm quite serious about accepting your offer to join you. I'll be your Empress. You're right. We _can_ create something new together. The treaty was a good indication from you that you _can_ change. The Order can change. And I'm here for it."

"I accept." Ren extended his hand to her. It trembled slightly, but she eagerly took it.

"Sorry I didn't tell you about Armitage," she said. "I needed to make sure I was certain about my choice."

"Does Dameron know?" Hux asked in disgust. "You just told him you'd meet him for dinner this evening!" The arched eyebrow Ren gave him was enough to make Hux realize his strange affection for the cocky pilot. Hux fumbled for a recovery. "If you're joining the First Order, you'll do well to not immediately turn an ally against us."

"He'll understand," Rey smiled. "You'll see. Let's go back to my new ship, shall we?"

Officers stood aghast as she eagerly bounded up the ramp before them. Several scowled back at Ren. Others couldn't tear their eyes away from the scavenger. In the midst of it, Ren stood with a small smile at his lips and a hand resting on Hux's shoulder. "Welcome back," he said.

* * *

Hux marched through the ship in his orange flight suit, making his way to his quarters. Time folded in on itself and stretched bizarrely. The ship itself was the same. Faces on the way had changed. Officers on the bridge were not where they were supposed to be. Familiar faces were absent; victims of the attack that spared him. Young lieutenants were promoted to stations they shouldn't have acquired for years and years. All of them gaped at him before remembering to salute. The expressions made him wonder if he really had died and was nothing but an apparition before them.

Kylo Ren walked beside him. "I'll speak with her. She'll think she's hallucinating if you go in first."

"No one's sent word to her?" Hux asked in exasperation. Each minute his wife mourned him was a minute he couldn't give her back. "And why not?"

"She's had a harder time than she'll admit. Like I said: I had to be sure before bringing her into it." Ren reached out to the security pad outside her door.

The move was too familiar. "Ren," Hux snarled as the door slid open. He'd been jealous of Ren's power, of his favor with Snoke, his commanding presence. But the easy way Ren strode into _his_ apartment to speak with _his_ wife was enough to make his heart pound violently into his throat. He formed a fist and cocked his arm back.

Sensing the coming attack, Ren held up a hand and pushed Hux back softly with the Force. "Stay here," he hissed before sliding the door shut behind him. Inside the apartment, Aurelia was napping on the couch. Millicent was curled on her chest. Her tail flicked back and forth as Ren approached. "Aurelia," he said softly. "Wake up."

"Hmm? Did I miss dinner? BB-2 was supposed to wake me." She groggily looked to the droid in the corner, who beeped in protest. Squinting up at Ren, she stretched. "How was your mission? Missed you at lunch. General Daly was _not_ pleased I was in your mess hall without an escort. He promised you'd hear about it." She laughed, then yawned. "I told him I'd let you know first. Then he left me alone."

"I have a surprise for you." Ren helped her to her feet, unable to keep from smiling at her clumsy state. Her stomach changed her center of gravity drastically and the usually graceful assistant was now a lumbering mess.

"A surprise? Oh, kriff. I hate surprises." She smoothed her hair down and looked up at him suspiciously.

"I hope not," Ren muttered. He turned and used the Force to slide the door open. He stepped out of the way and watched the woman's face as footsteps approached.

"Hux!" The word tumbled from her lips and hung in the air. She stumbled backward and reached for Ren. Her hand found the front of his tunic and clutched the fabric desperately.

The move made Hux wish he _had_ died.

"It's really him," Ren reassured her softly, giving her a nudge. "Go on."

Her eyes scanned him for a moment, focusing on various bruises and scratches on his face and neck and probably his slimmer frame and gaunt look. The rebellion brought him back from death and he looked like it. "He died. This is a trick," she whispered. Her head whipped back to Kylo and she took a step back against him.

Hux swallowed hard. "Aurelia."

At the sound of his voice, she ran to him at last. She felt foreign in his arms with her large belly full of baby between them. "I'm sorry," she breathed as she kissed his cheeks and mouth. "I'm sorry. You've been dead for months. How. How? Is it really you?" He opened his mouth to answer, but she was speaking rapidly when she could catch her breath between joyous tears. "I cried every day. I watched old speeches. I smelled your sheets and clothes and then they stopped smelling like you and even Millicent could tell and-"

"It doesn't matter," Hux whispered. "I'm alive. I'm not leaving you again." His own eyes watered to see her flood of emotions for him.

"This is bad for the baby," Ren's annoyed voice came. "Relax. Control your emotions."

Aurelia stepped back obediently and nodded. "Yeah. It's just overwhelming. You're right."

"Better," Ren coached her. "Catch your breath."

Hux watched as Aurelia nodded again and sucked in a deep breath, as if a soldier following orders. He bared his teeth. "She is not yours to command," he snarled at the man in black. "Dismiss yourself. I'm sure Rey could use your overbearing guidance."

"Don't," Aurelia snapped. "You have no idea how much he's done for me since you died." She considered the words, then shook her head. "You can't just come back here like everything's the same. It's not. Ben has been my everything for _months._ The baby knows him. Loves him! You can't just come home and throw him out."

Ren looked just as surprised as Hux.

Hux pursed his lips. "Very well."

* * *

It was Rey who stumbled into the bar and upon the grand marshal that evening. "Armitage! Where's your wife? I thought you'd be with her!" She cringed at his disheveled state.

Still wearing the jumpsuit from Poe, Hux's long hair hung into his face. He'd neither bathed nor shaved, and the dark stubble on his cheeks and chin gave him an exhausted look. He fidgeted with the empty glass in his fingers and shook his head. Words wouldn't come.

"What?" Rey quickly took the stool next to him. "What happened?"

His voice was slurred and he knew he was drunker than he should be so soon after recovering. "She prefers Kylo Ren. She doesn't want me. I'm not surprised. Why are you here?"

"I was exploring. And no." She grabbed his arm. "That's not true. Stop that."

He drunkenly grabbed her hand and pressed it against his forehead. "Watch. _Just watch."_ He didn't even flinch when she entered his mind and replayed their reunion.

The Jedi bit her lip, but quickly recovered and put on an indifferent expression. "She's in shock," Rey offered gently. "Ben's not trying to steal her from you. Once I knew about the baby, I told him he had to take care of her. I asked him every day. It was _me_ motivating him to care about her. He's not in love with Aurelia, I promise."

"He listens to you?" Hux chuckled. "He doesn't listen to anyone. Asshole." The glass tipped out of his fingers and clattered to the bar.

"Armitage," Rey sighed. "Let's get you to bed. I think you've had enough to drink."

Hux shook his head. "I don't have a place anymore. Not my quarters. Not the bridge. Did you see how they _looked_ at me?" He scoffed. "Like I'm a ghost. Like they don't remember who I am. They are _my_ soldiers, and they dare to wear those stupid faces at me!" He took a shuddering breath. "I wish Poe left me there to die with my men. Why should I be here and them dead?"

"Stop, stop, _stop,"_ Rey sighed. "You're just drunk. You'll feel better tomorrow. You've been dead and I'm sure this is all a lot to deal with."

"Yes, _Empress,"_ he submitted. "Another one of you to blindly obey." He let her wrap an arm around his waist and heave him off his stool. "Do good, okay? Be good. Make us good." He laughed. "Like Dameron. He's good. I want us to be like him."

Rey smiled. "Don't worry. Now let's get you to bed."


	14. Fin

Hux awoke with a pounding, splitting headache just above his forehead. He grimaced and pressed his hands to his forehead, hoping to give himself some sort of solace. "Son of a bantha," he moaned into the pillow. It had been years since he had a proper hangover.

"That's what happens when you drink vodka like it's water, Grand Marshal."

Hux looked up in surprise. Aurelia was in bed next to him, lying on her side watching him. A small smile ticked at her lips. "I thought you'd come back last night, but I didn't think you'd be carried back by our new Empress."

"Mmm," Hux groaned. "Forgive me. I haven't been quite right since waking back up." He struggled to sit up. "Mind, body. It's all wrong. Not that I'd _ever_ take well to Ren usurping my marriage and child while I was half dead." Irritation at his hangover roiled over into rage at his wife. He could see her backing against him for reassurance, unknowingly grabbing at his tunic in a bizarrely intimate manner.

"Stop," Aurelia said, sitting up. "Let me call a medical droid."

"No. Why does he care about you? Why bother? He never did when I was alive." Hux had half a mind to laugh at the statement, but scowled instead. No, things still didn't sit well with him. Kylo Ren never took an interest in anyone but himself and have scavenger girl.

Aurelia pursed her lips for a moment. "He said it was his fault you were on the mission. Kylo feels responsible."

Hux rolled his eyes and made a noise of disgust.

"The baby is Force sensitive. She's really strong, he says. I believe him. And she knows when he's near." Her hand caressed her stomach. "He's going to teach her how to control it as she grows up. So she doesn't end up like him, he said. He really cares about her."

The words soaked in and Hux weighed the many emotions he felt, trying to decide which one served him best. "And about you?" As soon as the words had been spoken, he wanted to leave the room or plug his ears. He didn't truly want to know the answer.

Her face fell slightly. "Well, I don't know. He got my stupid meal plan from your datapad and tried to make me eat that stuff. I couldn't help but feel like he was afraid of me, or getting too close to me. For a little while I wondered if he was going to steal the baby, but that's when he said he didn't want her to grow up like he did without help." She wrinkled her nose, finding the humor. "So really, I'm an extension of our daughter to the Supreme Leader. Nothing more."

Once again Hux couldn't pick an emotion. Relief made him giddy while irritation prickled. His communicator lit up and he snatched it from the mattress, thankful for a break from the churning emotions. "Hux."

"Grand Marshal! Good. You sound alive enough. It's Jory. Listen."

Hux pulled the device back and looked at it in confusion. "Jory? I'm returning to duty on the morrow, I hope. Is this about-"

The woman's voice was frantic. "It can't wait! I looked into some files after you turned up alive because I was curious and had a weird feeling, you know? Okay, so like, the pirates weren't raiding. It wasn't random. They were looking for _you._ "

Hux sighed. The conspiracy theories were bound to happen, but this was faster than he expected. "Nonsense. I wasn't supposed to be on the ship. I took Kylo Ren's place at the last minute."

Jory tutted. "Okay, listen. You know Aurelia's ex husband? The one you killed at your wedding?"

"I could hardly forget," Hux seethed.

"Cool. Good. Okay, well, Vero passed inside information to the pirates when he was on the ship. There are communication records of it! He was here for weeks. Assumed the identity of a trooper he killed and threw in the trash compactor." Jory's voice was shaky. "A security team is going through the records now, looking for outbound messages that could be from his associates. He's dead, so there are obviously other moles on board that led to your death and are not probably gonna try to kill you again."

Hux's stomach dropped. That evidence was damning. "Put a security detail on my quarters and I'll have a team look into it further to determine whether any moles remain." He set to switch off the device, but then paused. "Thank you," he added.

Nothing ever seemed to go well for Armitage Hux.

* * *

In the week following his return to the First Order, Hux avoided Kylo Ren like the plague. _Ironic,_ Ben mused as he watched Hux depart the conference room as if it were on fire, doggedly avoiding eye contact. _The one person I wished I could bring back from the dead, and now here he is, wishing_ I _was dead._

Kylo could hardly blame the man. If he were lost in a mission and came back months later to see Rey seeking solace in Hux? Well. He certainly wouldn't have reacted as passively as his grand marshal had, that's for sure. Still, the frigid coolness made Ren second-guess his involvement in Aurelia's pregnancy and her daughter's life. The child would need him, but maybe not, if she had two caring parents.

Scowling, he wondered what that would have been like. Han Solo scavenged and Leia Organa played politics. The fact that they had a son was hardly known, or so he felt. Aurelia would treat her daughter well, and surely Hux would know what awaited him should he mistreat the Force-sensitive girl growing inside his wife.

Perhaps they _wouldn't_ need him, after all. The thought cooled him and he sighed. All the power and hard learned lessons in the world with no one to pass it on to.

A young lieutenant standing in front of him reached up onto her toes and cleared her throat, hoping to catch his attention. "Supreme Leader?" She waved a hand before his face. "Supreme Leader? Hello?"

"Hmm?" he replied, still distracted with the prospect of losing Hux's daughter as an apprentice.

The girl nodded. "I hate to bother you, but you said we could come to you with any information regarding the traitor Vero and I-"

"Yes," Ben interrupted as he grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. "What is it? Tell me everything."

* * *

Aurelia waved from the table in the officers' mess hall. By now the officers begrudgingly accepted her presence and hardly spared a rude glance at her. "Hux!" she called.

He smiled at the sight of her. Adjusting back to a life that had gone on without him was strange, but they managed. Still, he couldn't bring himself to face Ren. Not yet. Mustering the will and want to talk to him man to man was a seemingly impossible task. _In time,_ he reassured himself. _In time._

"Are things back to normal for you yet?" Aurelia asked through a mouth full of spinach. She washed the greenery down with a fried potato wedge.

The food choice made Hux chortle. He'd given up entirely on trying to dictate nutritious foods for her, instead assuming the body would crave what it needed. Still, he couldn't help but cringe when she came to bed with a frozen sweet. "All normal once again, yes," Hux replied. "I think so." Then he hesitated. "Have you heard differently?"

Aurelia never answered. Commotion broke out near one of the doors. Chairs scraping on the floor and thuds of bodies hitting the ground mixed with shouted orders and cries of pain. Hux was on his feet before he could process what he was seeing.

"Evacuate and guard her!" Hux roared to a nearby officer. "Nothing happens to her. See to that." He watched until she'd been ushered through a door, two guards flanking her, until he turned his attention back to the chaos.

So Vero's moles had found him at last.

A small squad of humans wearing First Order uniforms were moving swiftly through the crowd, cutting down officers left and right with electrostaffs as they marched toward him. The officers that wore them fumbled for their weapons, but were caught largely unaware. They weren't at war and no one expected a revolt.

Hux imagined there was some executor of Vero's estate out there offering the final reward for his death. _Bastard,_ he thought. The fact that a single drunken exchange with an administrative employee shot him on such a strange life trajectory. Sure, he imagined Kylo Ren would one day kill him, but not a random half-wit's team of assassins.

Hux pulled his blaster and got a shot off, dropping one of the moles, but another assailant was on him, knocking the gun from his grasp. Hux moved to engage him hand to hand but a third attacker swung his weapon. _Death_ , he realized as the weapon swung wildly toward him. He couldn't react quickly enough to think anything but that. _Death. Oh, kriff._

Impact knocked him backward, but the blow itself was painless. Hux held his breath, uncertain why this death seemed different than his near death after the attack. Bracing himself, he opened his eyes and found himself on the floor with a flurry of activity happening above him.

Kylo Ren stood with his arms outstretched, crying out in effort as all three assailants levitating, bodies contorting unnaturally with each millimeter Ren flexed his fingers. When there was nothing but broken bones and expressionless faces, Ren let his arms and the bodies fall. He exhaled and sat heavily upon a tabletop, utterly spent.

"You _saved_ me?" Hux gasped. He tried to ignore the grotesque corpses on the floor. "Why? I can't say I'd have done the same for you."

Ren used the Force to roughly pull him to his feet. "You've been dead once. I didn't like how things went to shit around here without you." He glanced away and feigned interest in the bodies on the floor. "We found Vero's men," he added darkly. A soft chuckle came to his lips.

Hux dusted himself off and pretended he didn't notice the violent tremble in his hands as he did so. He stepped over the bodies and immediately regretted doing so. There was no way to ignore the sickening angles and distorted features. Hux had done his fair share of assassinations, but these were enough to make his stomach turn. "So we did." He caught Ren's gaze. "Really. Why save me?"

"I can't work with those mook milkers. And your daughter should grow up with both of her parents," Ren added. Blaster fire and shouting from the doorway drew his attention. When troopers finally made their way into the room, Ren glared at them. "About time. Clean this up."

"My daughter?" Hux repeated as the troopers obediently dragged the bodies away.

Ren held his gaze. "A child with that magnitude of connection with the Force cannot be left to her own devices." His lip trembled for a moment. "She needs you to support her. The power will be a burden. No one should be left alone like this!" He huffed and turned to storm out the door.

Whether is was the near-death experience or a moment of clarity, Hux called after him. "Ren!"

"What?" he said over his shoulder. He lingered in the doorway and tried to ignore the way the troopers stared at him.

Hux took a few deep breaths and tried to calm the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. "I would like for you to instruct my daughter in the ways of the Force."

"You owe me nothing, General." Still, a smile came to his lips.

"No. But I owe that child everything. And kriff, I'm a grand marshal, damn you."

* * *

 _Six Years Later_

The redheaded girl bounded onto the bridge, giggling and squealing. A commander raised an eyebrow and looked up to a lieutenant, who didn't dare smile in the presence of commanding officers.

"You're not supposed to be here," Hux warned, scooping the girl into his arms anyway. "War is no place for a child. Go play. I'll be home soon."

"Uncle Ben says it's better to be prepared for war and not have to have one." She beamed ear to ear. "I had to tell you what I did, Father! I moved the _heavy_ things today! The big kid things! I didn't even have to think too hard. Are you proud of me?"

"Infinitely, darling."

Giggling, she poked Hux in the cheek. "I bet I could move you. Ben said I should try it and surprise you when I get stronger. He said you'd like it."

Sighing in exasperation, he shook his head. "How did you happen?"

"Mother says because you like her freckles."

Hux cleared his throat and ignored the amused stares from the bridge crew. "Yes, well, I suppose that's true. Now go home. I'll be there in a few minutes." He set her upright and gave her a gentle push. "Don't get into any trouble on the way!"

The Supreme Leader strolled onto the bridge, ruffling the girl's hair as she ran past him. "Grand Marshal."

"Supreme Leader," Hux greeted him. "How is Rey feeling?"

Ren snorted. "Big. I trust you'll have things under control should the baby come overnight." The statement seemed to stress him out and he grimaced.

"Of course." Hux offered a lopsided grin. "You'll be fine, Ren. You haven't ruined my daughter entirely yet, so I'm certain your own child will turn out decently enough. After all, it'll be half Rey."

"The girl will be fine," Ren muttered. "It's the delivery I'm worried about. For Rey. For _me._ "

Hux laughed aloud, a hearty chortle. "That's right! You're connected somehow, aren't you? I believe you'll be the first man to experience labor pains." Hux went so far as to clap the black-clad man on the shoulder fondly. "Funny how life turns out."

"Supreme Leader Solo?" someone called.

"You'll be all right. Keep in touch," Hux said, turning. "I'm going home for the night."

Ren nodded and headed toward the lieutenant.

* * *

"I'm home," Hux called.

The orange cat wove between his feet as he strode into their quarters.

Aurelia looked up from the counter, where she was chopping some exotic vegetable from the last planet they visited. "Did you hear? Rey thinks the baby is coming tonight. She said Ben is is wreck." She smiled as Hux stepped over their daughter, who was on the floor. "Remember the night before she was born?"

"Mmhmm," Hux nodded, watching his daughter moving small pieces of furniture around with her mind. "Thank the stars I'm not Force sensitive."

"We should have waited to have another until we knew how strong she is," Aurelia laughed. "And now the Solo baby! I hope Ben can handle three of them." Her small baby bump brushed against him as she pressed a kiss to his neck.

"He deserves every gray hair they'll give him." Hux watched his daughter levitate a cat toy as Millicent batted the air for it. The girl's steel eyes were focused on her task, her hand flexing and conducting the Force. Then she giggled and suddenly the cat's paws left the ground. Millicent yowled.

"What did I say about moving the cat?" Aurelia warned her.

"She's not hurting her," Hux added.

The little girl giggled and pushed the cat through the air toward him as Aurelia tried to muster a sigh, but instead giggled. He winked as he lifted the feline into his arms. Not so many years ago, Hux could never have fathomed this life for himself. "Strange how life turns out, isn't it?"


End file.
